Aiming to acknowledge health workers publicly, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in collaboration with the White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood, India (WRAI), on National Safe Motherhood Day, gave away the Annual National Safe Motherhood Awards for health providers.
In its third year, the awards felicitated exemplary efforts by health workers across the country in order to recognise their contribution and reduce maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the country. This year, ANMs and ASHAs from 10 high focus States of UP, Bihar, Rajasthan, Assam, MP, Odisha, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, J&K along with doctors who have conducted caesarean section and given anaesthesia were felicitated. The awards were given away by Dr Syeda Hameed, Member, Planning Commission of India and Manoj Jhalani, joint secretary (policy), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr Aparajita Gogoi, executive director, CEDPA India, said that making motherhood safer requires more than just good quality health services. “Women must be empowered, and guaranteed their human rights — including their rights to good quality services and information during and after pregnancy and childbirth. Health workers are critical to saving lives. They are the single most important resource of any health service. Without them, no vaccine can be administered, no lifesaving drugs prescribed, no family planning advice provided and no woman can receive skilled care during childbirth,” she added.
“People who work at the grass roots providing health service are not given their dues. They are the most critical link, saving lives where it matters most. These awards will go a long way in encouraging the workers,” said Hameed. Jhalani felt that many schemes like JSY are being implemented to better maternal health now. “Two years back, JSSK was introduced to provide full and complete package from pick, drop, medicines and new born care,” he said.