Punjab Boosts High-Risk Delivery and Neonatal Care Through Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana

PT News Chandigarh, May 25

PT News

Punjab is significantly strengthening high-risk maternal and neonatal healthcare through the Mukh Mantri Sehat Yojana, ensuring that complicated deliveries and critical newborn care are accessible to families without financial burden. A major study based on India’s National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5) survey found that nearly one in every two pregnancies in the country is high-risk. Factors such as poor education, poverty, short gaps between pregnancies, previous birth complications and caesarean deliveries increase dangers for both mother and baby. Researchers say women from vulnerable backgrounds face the highest risks, highlighting the urgent need for stronger maternal healthcare and awareness programmes. The Sehat Card has emerged as a critical support mechanism for women requiring surgical intervention during childbirth due to complications such as prolonged labour, maternal health conditions, fetal distress and previous cesarean deliveries. According to official data received from the State Health Agency (SHA), as on May 25, a total of 7,300 maternity and neonatal care cases were treated under the scheme with expenditure amounting to 7.04 crore. Of these, 5,300 were high-risk caesarean deliveries accounting for ?6.37 crore, reflecting the growing role of the scheme in supporting high-risk pregnancies and emergency obstetric care across Punjab. Speaking about personal experience, benefici-ary Deepika, a 28-year-old woman from Patiala who faced pregnancy complications including anaemia, shares that she underwent a successful caesarean delivery fully cov-ered under the Sehat Card. Her husband Manoj shared that they were very happy that the procedures went smoothly and stress.