- Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare participated in the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (PMNCH) ‘Accountability Breakfast’.
- The event was co-hosted by the White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) and Every Woman Every Child (EWEC).
- A recurrent theme this year was the effort to protect hard earned gains in the field of Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health from the COVID pandemic.
- The Minister spoke of the government’s stated policy of no denial for essential services, like-
○Reproductive Maternal Newborn,
○Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH),
○Tuberculosis, chemotherapy, dialysis and healthcare of the elderly,
○irrespective of the COVID status, the free testing and treatment for COVID across government health facilities and
○the inclusion of COVID in the medical conditions covered under the Ayushman Bharat – PM JAY insurance package provided by the government, which caters to almost 500 million people from the weakest socio-economic strata.
- From instilling a behavioral change to help more women deliver in hospitals to entitlement for absolutely free services, government now providing quality care throughout pregnancy and childbirth with interventions like LaQshya and midwifery care.
- Started “Safe Motherhood Assurance (SUMAN)” initiative that brings all services under one umbrella.
- Following a zero tolerance approach for service denial to pregnant women and their newborn babies and have also strengthened system for client feedback, grievance redressal and greater accountability and transparency.
