For many years, maternal mortality has been one of the prime concerns in India and various initiatives and schemes have been launched by the Government of India to reduce the Maternal Mortality Ratio by improving maternal health. The Programmes and schemes have been designed holistically, in a way to put emphasis on the continuity of quality healthcare for the health of pregnant women and infants by availing services right from the early stages of pregnancy till postpartum care.
Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) is one of the initiatives undertaken by the Government of India to provide cost-effective, affordable, and accessible quality healthcare services to pregnant women and neonates throughout the entire country. This initiative was implemented through the Department of Health and Family Welfare schemes (MoHFW). This program provides free maternal healthcare services for all pregnant women who give birth in public healthcare institutions that include free-of-cost, cashless delivery services and cesarean section operations. It allows similar entitlements to newborns and sick infants.
Foundation of Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram-
The scheme of Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram was launched on 1st June 2011, to ensure that all pregnant women, especially those belonging to economically weaker and vulnerable sections of the society avail the benefits of safe, sound, and quality maternal healthcare services under the supervision of trained professionals in public health institutions. This initiative was put in place with the objective to increase institutional deliveries which would ensure better medical care for pregnant women as well as newborns, thus reducing the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) and Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). This program was extended in 2014 to any antenatal and postnatal complications of pregnancy. This scheme was implemented all across India, including all the states and union territories. This scheme has benefited more than 12 million women on average, who access Government Healthcare facilities in rural and urban areas.
Entitlements for pregnant women under Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram-
This program renders various services to pregnant women completely free of cost -
Free of cost, expenseless delivery services
Free C-section delivery services
Free drugs, diagnostics, and consumables
Free diet for up to 3 days for normal deliveries during the stay in public health institutions.
Free diet for up to 7 days for Cesarean deliveries during the stay in public health institutions.
Free transfusion and provision of blood
Free transportation of pregnant women from home to healthcare institutions and vice-versa.
User charge exemption.
If any treatment required in case of complications of pregnancy, both antenatal and postnatal, have also been covered under the scheme of JSSK.
Entitlements for Newborns under Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram-
This program renders the following services to newborn babies up to 30 days of age completely free of charge which is also applicable for sick infants:
Free treatment for neonates
Free drugs, medicines, and consumables
Free diagnostics
Free provision and transfusion of blood if required.
Free transportation services for newborns from home to the healthcare facilities and vice-versa.
Free transportation services between healthcare facilities in case referrals are done or required.
User charges exemption.
In low-resource settings, many healthcare facilities lack essential resources and health commodities such as drugs, water and sanitation services, functional medical equipment and trained personnels. These poor healthcare services especially in low and middle income countries like India have a profound effect on mortality rates of new mothers and neonates. Quality health services should be effective, safe and people centered, equitable, integrated and time efficient. It has been estimated that high quality health systems could prevent 1 million newborn deaths and half of all maternal deaths each year.Dr. Monica Agrawal MS, DGO, DNB (Professor in Dept of Obstetrics & Gynecology, KGMU)
Institutional deliveries have seen an exponential increase in both rural as well as urban areas since the launch of Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram. The data presented by the Press Information Bureau Government of India shows that there has been an increase in the number of institutional deliveries from 79 per cent in 2015-16 to 89 per cent in 2019-20. Around 87% births in rural areas and 94% births in urban areas have been institutional deliveries since the launch of the scheme. Targeted strategic interventions and approaches employed by the Government of India have helped bring down the mortality ratio of mothers as well as infants by significant order.