Central scheme aimed at reducing maternal & infant mortalities
Members admit non-holding of even introductory meetings
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 16: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that there is absolute non-serious approach on the part of all the concerned authorities in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir about dealing with important aspects of Centrally Sponsored Scheme aimed at reducing maternal and infant mortality.
The scheme titled Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) was launched on October 10, 2019 at the conclave of the Central Council of Ministers wherein the Government of India and Governments of States and Union Territories collectively committed to achieve zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths in the country.
Under the scheme, all the pregnant women, newborns and mothers up to 6 months of delivery are entitled to avail several free healthcare services. The packages under SUMAN have been divided into basic, basic emergency obstetric and newborn care and comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care services for both maternal and new-born services.
The Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir vide Order No.688-JK(GAD) dated August 5, 2021 constituted committees at different levels for facilitating implementation of the scheme. Administrative Secretary of the Health and Medical Education Department was made Chairperson of Union Territory Level Committee while as District Development Commissioner was nominated as Chairperson of the District Level Committee.
Likewise, Block Medical Officer was nominated as head of the committee at the block level and all these committees were assigned different tasks in order to ensure smooth implementation of this Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
However, despite lapse of more than three months the Union Territory Level Committee has not met even once although it was supposed to develop roadmap and action plan for the implementation of the initiative with the aim to ensure that the maternity care and other entitled services are delivered free of cost, as part of service guarantee for maternal, newborn and infant care, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
Several members of the UT Level Committee, when contacted by EXCELSIOR, confirmed that even introductory meeting of the main committee has not been convened till date for the reasons best known to those who were supposed to play vital role in having detailed discussion on the effective implementation of the scheme.
Stating that at least some deliberations should have been held by the UT Level Committee, sources said that committee is supposed to review performance of the programme on periodical basis so as to provide suggestions for taking necessary corrective measures. Moreover, the mandate of the committee is to make recommendations for strengthening health system by ensuring assured availability of required specialists, drugs, diagnostics, referral services, responsive allocation of funds to healthcare facilities etc in the Union Territory.
“Further the committee is required to review progress of maternal death review conducted by district authorities as per the guidelines and ensure that corrective measures are undertaken to address the systemic gaps”, sources said, adding “with such a vast terms of reference how the UT Level Committee can be so non-serious remains a million dollar question”.
Further, in such a situation, how the UT Level Committee can exert pressure on the District Level Committees for holding serious deliberations on latter’s terms of references, sources wondered, adding “the District Level Committees too have been assigned the important tasks like real time implementation of the initiative and reviewing the progress of SUMAN and to ensure 100% registration of all maternal deaths and ensuring systematic maternal death reviews are undertaken as per the guidelines.
Moreover, the District Level Committees are supposed to facilitate inter-departmental convergence and ensuring use of community-based platforms like Village Health, Nutrition and Sanitation Committee for holding meetings and Gram Panchayats for community mobilization and mass awareness.
Likewise, the Block Level Committees are supposed to monitor real time implementation of the initiatives and review the progress at block level, ensuring that all PHCs/SCs are converted as Health and Wellness Centres and providing services as per comprehensive primary health care guidelines. Further, these committees are required to identify champions and best performers in the block and village levels and recognizing them on village level platforms.
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