Context: The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare commenced nationwide celebrations to mark the 10th anniversary of the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) under the theme 10 Years of PMSMA – A Decade of Care.
About The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA):
What It Is?
- The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) is a national flagship health program designed to provide assured, comprehensive, and completely free antenatal care (ANC) universally to all pregnant women across India.
- Operating through a unique single-window healthcare delivery mechanism, the scheme serves as a critical pillar of the government’s Continuum of Care approach under the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) strategy.
Launched In: The scheme was officially launched on June 9, 2016, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Ministry Involved: The program is designed, financed, and executed by the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India.
Aim: PMSMA seeks to reduce preventable maternal and infant deaths through early identification and management of high-risk pregnancies, ensuring every pregnant woman receives at least one specialist antenatal check-up in the second or third trimester.
Key Features of the PMSMA Ecosystem:
9th of the Month Rule: On the 9th day of every month, all designated government health facilities conduct special PMSMA sessions, ensuring predictable and universal access to antenatal care for pregnant women.
- Single-Window Minimum Care Package: Pregnant women receive a complete package of free services, including clinical check-ups, counseling, medicines, laboratory tests, and one ultrasound scan, under a single visit.
- Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Volunteerism: Private gynecologists, obstetricians, and radiologists voluntarily support government facilities, helping bridge specialist shortages and improve maternal healthcare coverage.
- Green Sticker (Normal Pregnancy): A green sticker is placed on the MCP card of women with no identified complications, indicating a normal pregnancy requiring routine monitoring.
- Red Sticker (High-Risk Pregnancy): A red sticker identifies women with high-risk pregnancies, alerting health workers to ensure closer supervision, timely referrals, and delivery preparedness.
About e-PMSMA Features:
- Name-Based Line Listing: e-PMSMA digitally records and tracks each high-risk pregnancy through online portals and mobile applications, enabling real-time monitoring by healthcare providers.
- Extended Care Sittings: Health facilities can organize up to four PMSMA sessions per month, ensuring that missed beneficiaries and high-risk cases receive timely care.
- 45-Day Healthy Outcome Window: The monitoring system tracks both mother and newborn from pregnancy until 45 days after delivery, ensuring comprehensive maternal and neonatal care.
- Financially Assisted Transport Support: Under JSSK, transport assistance is provided to pregnant women, especially in remote areas, reducing access barriers to institutional healthcare services.
