CHANDIGARH: Facing challenges amid COVID-19 to provide essential health services, Punjab Government has left no stone unturned to reach to provide quality medical services under Mother and Child Health Programme.
Giving details here today, Director Health Services (Family Welfare), Dr. Andesh Kang has shared data from April 2020 to March 2021 where MCH service indicators picked a positive pace, out of total 100% registered pregnant women 98.54% were delivered in Hospitals. During COVID-19 pandemic, medical staff was mostly involved in covid related duties but medical staff carried out their duties in other essential medical services like MCH services.
She informed that though Health department had stopped elective surgeries but medical staff of the Health department provided 24x7 MCH services along with their focus on Covid. Moreover pregnant women were provided free pick and drop service through 108 as well as three days and seven days of meal to normal delivery and caesarean section delivery respectively.
Dr. Andesh Kang has the opinion that "Safe delivery is a basic right of every mother and child, health department has done a wonderful job in motivating people to avail service under MCH services safe delivery". COVID-19 has gripped the health services into crisis but with the help of staff working in the field, the beneficiaries are reaching in health facilities for deliveries.
"It is important to note here that the many Covid positive pregnant women delivered successfully in various government health facilities with utmost care in labour rooms following COVID-19 guidelines" said Dr. Kang.
State Programme Officer, MCH Dr. Inderdeep Kaur said that MCH programme is part of essential services which includes service from registration of pregnant women to delivery of child and full immunization of the child as per schedule. She said that early registration of the pregnancy is the key step where a pregnant woman is registered in the First trimester and four antenatal checkups are provided to her on door step.
Dr. Kaur said that ANM's and ASHA regularly monitor the pregnancy period of the beneficiary and her birth plan is prepared according to her health status and help her to reach a nearby hospital for delivery.