Many programmes to mitigate infant, maternal mortality rate: Nadda

Union Health and Family Welfare Minister J P Nadda said that the NDA-led Central government is initiating various programmes to mitigate the infant and maternal mortality rate in the country.

Speaking after dedicating the district government maternity and children's hospital by BRS ventures here on Thursday, the union minister said that the Central government's blue health programme introduced in 2017 is a strategic engagement of the private sector in health care. The initiative is concentrating on the disease-specific address towards preventive and promotional health care services. It is a holistic approach, wherein every area of medicine should aim at an integrated approach. The lifecycle approach is top priority. A mother who conceives is taken care of from day one and antenatal programmes are taken care of. The baby, once it is born, is also taken care of.

He added that the government is committed to promoting institutionalised deliveries, wherein the percentage has gone up to 85% in contrast to the earlier 45%. He added that supportive and supplementary initiatives are also offered.

Asserting that the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) is increased to 2.1%, the minister added that TFR was declining at a faster rate. However, due to the enormous initiatives taken, the TFR percent is gone up to 2.1%. The initiatives have reached 24 states and only 147 districts are remaining to complete the target. The next goal would be reaching out to 3%. He added that compulsory advice for feeding newborns up to six months and immediately by one hour after birth is being promoted extensively. One crore antenatal cases are being considered until now following the government's schemes wherein 4,700 gynecologists are attending to patients in 12,800 public health care institutions on the 9th of every month under the Mathru Suraksha scheme. As many as 5.5 lakh high-risk pregnancies are also taken care of.

Maintaining that affordability and accountability is the need of the hour in health care services, the minister added that as many as 108 outlets have been opened to attend to 50 lakh patients under Amrith Deen Dayal scheme. In a span of nine months, 469 types of medicines are sold which cost Rs 211 crore. Of these, 60-80% are branded medicines. The patient-centric act, Mental Health Act has been introduced which helps in the treatment of patients in the community. He said legal sanctity is offered to HIV patients through the Act. The maternal and infant mortality rate has drastically come down, he said.