State health minister Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu formally launched Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK), a central scheme sponsored by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to make available better health-care facilities for all pregnant women and sick new born, here Saturday.
JSSK, which is a nationwide programme, was initially was launched by union Health Ministry Government of India on June 1, 2011 and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.
State health minister Azo, while inaugurating the scheme, said JSSK was a new scheme that invoked on a new approach to health care with an emphasis on 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.
Azo asserted JSSK would particularly benefit pregnant women and sick neonates in a state like Nagaland, given the peculiar topography and where difficulty in accessing quality health-care services remained a concern.
He assured that with the roll out of the JSSK, health department would do everything possible notwithstanding the limitations, to make certain that maximum benefit in terms of entitlements was availed by all pregnant women and sick neonates in Nagaland.
Stating that targets were high and milestones many, Azo however said with the collective effort from both the government the stakeholders and the general public, goals were attainable and achievable.
Health minister also called upon all the citizens to avail the services and entitlements chalked out especially for all pregnant women and sick neonates to achieve the set goals of reducing maternal and infant mortality and morbidity.
The programme is aimed at Mother and Child Projection Programme which envisages the objectives of encouraging all pregnant women to deliver at public health facilities and fulfilling the commitment of achieving cent percent institutional delivery.
Azo said programme would 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.
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 (vice versa) and between facilities, in case of referral.
Earlier, Naga Mother’s Association (NMA) vice president Sarah Nuh in her address appreciated the launching of JSSK in Nagaland and expressed hope that it would provide better health-care facility to women and child.