Deliveries in Haryana hospitals up from 89% to 98% in 9 yrs

Time of India

22-05-2025

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Gurgaon: Most women in Haryana are choosing to give birth in hospitals and health centres, according to govt data that shows 98.3% of deliveries recorded across the state in 2024 were in medical facilities, a jump from 89% in 2015.
Officials said on Wednesday that institutional deliveries was helping make childbirth safer and reduce maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the state. The Special Bulletin on Maternal Mortality in India, released this month, said Haryana's MMR reduced from 110 per 100,000 live births in 2017–19 to 106 in 2019-21.
The state aims to bring down MMR to the global goal of 70 for 100,000 births by 2030.
Maternal mortality is defined as the death of a woman while she is pregnant, death after giving birth or within six weeks of giving birth.
Health department officials said several govt initiatives are helping make these changes possible. Among them is the 'Zero Home Delivery' campaign, which spreads awareness about the importance of delivering a child at health centres with trained medical professionals.
The state also asked all districts to improve ante-natal care and identify high-risk pregnancy cases. They were asked to maintain dashboards with high-risk cases at all govt health centres, and ensure that all anaemic women with low red blood cell count get mandatory blood transfusion.
Another key initiative is the
Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan
(PMSMA), which facilitates check-ups for pregnant women in the early stages of conception. Under the National Health Mission (NHM), Haryana also introduced its 'blanket sanction' policy that allows districts to directly hire doctors and specialists in under-staffed regions.
"All labour rooms across the state have been upgraded with essential drugs, equipment, and logistics. These advancements aim to ensure that every childbirth is safe, dignified and well-supported," said Dr Ripu Daman Singh Dhillon, mission director of NHM-Haryana.
Dhillon said that the state also carried out several programmes, including identifying high-risk pregnancies, to intervene before any complications can arise.
For instance, the Janani Surakshit Maah (JSM) campaign facilitates additional resources and medical attention for high-risk pregnancy cases. The Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) provides monetary support for institutional deliveries to women from economically disadvantaged sections.
Similarly, Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) eliminates out-of-pocket expenses by offering free drugs, diagnostics, diet, blood transfusions and referral transport services to women.
"The state also implemented a maternal death review (MDR) system, conducting one-to-one reviews at the state level to identify systemic gaps and implement corrective measures promptly. This data-driven approach allows for continuous improvement," said Dr Virender Yadav, director, NHM-Haryana.