Chhattisgarh received two national awards for good performance in the health sector on Friday. The State was awarded with the “I pledge for 9” Achievers Award for better implementation of Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyaan (PMSMA) and for registering a significant fall in the rate of Maternal Mortality Rate(MMR).

Chhattisgarh Health Minister Ajay Chandrakar received the award from Union Health Minister J P Nadda at a function here.

Three private doctors from Chhattisgarh -two from Bilaspur and one from Raipur -were also awarded with the 'I pledge for 9' Achievers Award. Two gynaecologists from Bilaspur Dr Geeta Sharma and Suparna Mishra and Dr Pooja Uppadhyay from Raipur were given the awards. Union Ministers of State for Health Ashwini Kumar Choubey and Anupriya Patel and Health Ministers of other States were present at the function.

Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyaan (PMSMA) is aimed at providing assured, a comprehensive and quality antenatal care, free of cost, universally given to all pregnant month and reducing MMR and IMR. Pregnant women were given free of cost medicines at the camp. Chhattisgarh has been first in registering a reduction in the MMR. As per the SRS (Sample Registration System), report in the year 2011-13, MMR in Chhattisgarh was 221 per 100000 live births.

The State has registered a remarkable fall of 48 in the MMR. So far, 258 private doctors have registered themselves for the PMSMA.

The scheme has so far benefitted 4 lakh 19 thousand pregnant women. IMR in Chhattisgarh has reduced to 39 per 1000 live births in 2017 from 70 per 1000 live births in 2003.

Chhattisgarh Health Secretary Niharika Barik Singh, Mission Director (NHM) Surveshwar Narendra Bhure and Deputy Director Dr Alka Gupta were present at the function.

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