Our Correspondent
Kohima | August 4
Minister for health and family welfare Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu today formally launched a nationwide programme in Nagaland, known as Janani- Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), a programme to benefit pregnant women and sick neonates.
JSSK, which comes under National Rural Health Mission is a national health care initiative to make available better healthcare facilities for all pregnant women and sick neonates, was launched by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India on June 1, 2011 by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
The minister said that JSSK invokes a new approach to health care placing emphasis and elimination of out of pocket expenses for both pregnant women and sick neonates (upto 30 days after birth) in all government health institutions both in rural and urban areas. “This Mother- Child Projection Programme envisages the objectives of encouraging all pregnant women to deliver at public health facilities and fulfilling the commitment of achieving cent percent institutional delivery,” said Azo.
The minister said the programme will also empower service providers working at the health facilities in providing quality ante-natal, intra-natal and post natal services, a complete set of quality services desired at the institutions. “Providing entitlements to sick neonates would help in decreasing the infant mortality rate. This initiative will help in reducing both maternal and infant and morbidity,” said minister Azo
The new JSSK initiative is estimated to benefit more than 1 crore pregnant women and newborns all over India, who access public health institutions every year, both in urban and rural areas, enhancing access to public health institutions, leading to increase in health care for over 70 lakh women delivering at home, which would ultimately bring about reduction in maternal mortality ratio and infant mortality rate. Under JSSK initiative a wider scope of entitlements for pregnant women and sick neonates upto 30 days of birth would included drugs and consumables, diagnostics, blood wherever required, diet during their stay at the facility and referable transport from home to facility, facility to home and between facilities, in case of referral.
Azo asserted that the JSSK is speciality going to be beneficial for pregnant women and sick neonates in a state like ours, given the peculiar topography and where difficulty in accessing quality health care services remains a concern. “I give my assurance that with the roll out of the JSSK, my department will do everything possible, notwithstanding the limitations, to make certain that the maximum benefit in terns of entitlements given, is availed by all pregnant women and sick neonates in the state,” said the minister.
He said the targets are high and the milestones are many, “but with the collective efforts from both the government the stakeholders and the general public, I am sure that our goals are attainable and achievable too. The minister also called upon each and every citizen, in every hook and corner of the state to avail the services and entitlements chalked out especially for all pregnant women and sick neonates “so that together we can achieve the set goals of reducing maternal and infant mortality and morbidity.
Naga Mother’s Association (NMA) vice president Sarah Nuh in her speech was appreciative of the launching of JSSK in Nagaland and hoped that it would provide better health care facility to women and child. Earlier, Dr. Khanlo Magh, Mission Director NRHM Nagaland highlighted the overview of JSSK entitlements while Sentiyanger Imchen, commissioner and secretary health and family welfare chaired the function.
