Odisha reports highest point decline in IMR rate between years 2005 to 2020

Odisha reported the highest point decline in the country in “Infant Mortality Rate” with 39 points decline from 2005 to 2020, according to the Department of Health and Family Welfare, Odisha on Thursday. According to a report by news agency ANI, the department has stated that “as per the latest publication of SRS bulletin, 2020, Odisha’s Infant Mortality Rate, now stands at 36/1000 live birth.”

“With effective implications of quality healthcare services and focus on safe institutional delivery of women, Odisha has achieved a milestone in healthcare,” said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik as quoted by news agency ANI.

According to the Department of Health, many state-specific interventions have been taken as part of the IMR, the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) reduction strategy. A state-specific scheme ‘SAMMPurNA’ is one of them, has been implemented in the state from 2015-16 to provide medical care facilities for both expected mothers and children with financial assistance. Under this, the major interventions include the identification, referral, and treatment /management of high-risk pregnant women and children, provisioning of mother and baby kit, and reimbursement of transport cost Rs 1,000/- for institutional delivery of Pregnant women in notified difficult villages, Organization of integrated VHND and Immunisation sessions at under-served and hard to reach areas, the establishment of High Dependency Units (HDU) Paediatric Intensive Care Units (PICUs) for management of critical pediatrics cases at District Headquarter Hospitals.

According to a report by news agency ANI, a total of 48,394 ASHAs are in place in the state to facilitate and promote health care service delivery for newborns and childcare at the Rural and Urban community level, 44 Special Newborn Care Units (Target: 45) and 42 New Born Stabilization Units are operational for preventing mortality and brain damage immediately after birth, 530 Newborn Care Corners are functional at Delivery Points.

Meanwhile, routine immunization strengthened with the introduction of IPV and Rotavirus and Mission Indradhanush, MR and JE campaign, Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) Units: KMC units to be established at each SNCU and NBSU. Under ECRP-2, Pediatric Hybrid ICUs are being established at the DHH level in 29 districts, and in 3 districts, it will be tagged to the nearest district for treatment of severely ill children and for step-down care.

Moreover, as many as 40 identified health conditions are to be addressed through the ‘4D’ approach which includes Defects at Birth, Deficiencies, Childhood Disease, and Developmental Delay and Disabilities. 636 Mobile Health Teams were formed for screening, treatment, and referral of children identified with defects, deformity, development delay, and diseases at schools and AWCs under Rashtriya Bal Swasthya Karyakram.

(With inputs from ANI)