The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India, introduced the PMSMA. PMSMA full form is Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan. This initiative is geared towards offering assured, comprehensive, and high-quality antenatal care, provided free of charge, to all pregnant women on the 9th of every month. While standard antenatal care is typically available, specialised ANC services are administered by OBGY specialists, radiologists, and physicians at government health facilities as part of the PMSMA program. In this article, we will discuss the objectives, benefits, eligibility, and other aspects of the PMSMA scheme and also the significance of health insurance for all.
What is Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan?
The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) was initiated to ensure that pregnant women in their 2nd and 3rd trimesters receive assured, comprehensive, and high-quality antenatal care. The program adopts a structured method to engage with the private sector, encouraging private practitioners to volunteer for the campaign. It also devises strategies to raise awareness and encourage private sector involvement in the Abhiyan at government health facilities. An essential aspect of PMSMA involves identifying and monitoring high-risk pregnancies, with red stickers affixed to the Mother and Child Protection cards of women with such pregnancies.
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Objectives of PMSMA
Given below are the key objectives of Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA):
- Ensure a minimum of one antenatal check-up for all pregnant women during their second or third trimester by a physician/specialist.
- Enhance the quality of care during antenatal visits by providing:
- Necessary diagnostic services.
- Screening for relevant clinical conditions.
- Proper management of existing clinical conditions like anaemia, pregnancy-induced hypertension, gestational diabetes, etc.
- Adequate counselling services and accurate documentation of rendered services.
- Offer additional service opportunities to pregnant women who have missed antenatal visits.
- Identify and list high-risk pregnancies based on obstetric/medical history and existing clinical conditions.
- Ensure appropriate birth planning and readiness for complications for each pregnant woman, especially those with identified risk factors or comorbid conditions.
- Place special emphasis on early detection and proper management of women with malnutrition.
- Provide focused attention to adolescent and early pregnancies, as they require additional and specialised care.
Read more: Maternity health insurance