Confronted with high MMR, Punjab’s pregnancy care push brings 20,000 women a month to clinics

Chandigarh: Punjab's latest protocol-driven pregnancy care initiative has expanded access to essential antenatal services, with more than 10,000 women receiving free ultrasound tests in four months and around 20,000 pregnant women now availing antenatal care every month through the state's primary healthcare network.Confronted with gaps in maternal healthcare and a maternal mortality rate higher than the national average, Punjab govt rolled out the protocol-driven antenatal care model to strengthen pregnancy care at the primary healthcare level through its network of Aam Aadmi Clinics (AACs).According to the National Family Health Survey-5, less than 70% pregnant women in Punjab received their first antenatal check-up, and fewer than 60% completed the recommended four check-ups during pregnancy. Punjab's maternal mortality ratio stands at 90 per lakh live births, lower than the national average of 88, highlighting the urgent need to improve pregnancy care at the primary healthcare level. The state fares worse than Jharkhand, and lags behind better-performing states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.The state govt has set a target to bring the figure below 72 per lakh live births by the end of 2025–26, while the central govt aims to reduce the national MMR to below 70 per lakh live births by 2030. Maternal death is defined as the death of a woman during pregnancy or within 42 days of the termination of pregnancy from causes related to or aggravated by the pregnancy, excluding accidental causes. Around 4.3 lakh women are pregnant in Punjab every year, underscoring the scale of the challenge. To address these gaps, the state leveraged its network of 881 AACs, which witnessed over 4.6 crore OPD visits and treated nearly 70,000 patients daily.Four months ago, the govt launched an expanded, protocol-driven pregnancy care model through AACs, enabling pregnant women to access all routine antenatal tests at the clinic level. These include tests for HIV, syphilis, complete blood counts, blood sugar, thyroid function, hepatitis, foetal heart rate, cholesterol and haemoglobin. Ultrasound services are provided free of cost at nearly 500 govt-empanelled private diagnostic centres on referral from AAC doctors.Under the initiative, pregnant women receive referral slips from AACs and undergo ultrasounds at empanelled centres without any charge. While the market cost of an ultrasound ranges from Rs 800 to Rs 2,000, women referred from AACs pay nothing. In the past four months alone, more than 10,000 women received free ultrasounds, amounting to services worth around Rs 1 crore.Utilisation of expanded services increased steadily, with nearly 20,000 pregnant women visiting AACs every month. Around 5,000 women are identified as high-risk pregnancies each month, enabling close monitoring and timely referral to higher healthcare facilities for specialised care.Punjab health minister Dr Balbir Singh said the state govt is building a healthcare system that ensures every mother receives quality care close to home. With around 4.3 lakh pregnancies annually in Punjab, he said the expansion of pregnancy care services through Aam Aadmi Clinics represents a significant step towards strengthening maternal healthcare in the state.BOXPUNJAB'S MATERNAL HEALTH CHALLENGE- Less than 70% pregnant women in Punjab received their first antenatal check-up, while fewer than 60% completed the recommended 4 antenatal check-ups during pregnancy.- Punjab's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) stands at 90 per lakh live births, higher than the national average of 88- Punjab records around 4.3 lakh pregnancies every year