For the first time, the Public Health Department of Maharashtra is implementing routine medical check-ups for recently married couples throughout the state. The primary goal is to reduce infant mortality rates and promote the birth of healthy babies. Health department volunteers assess various health parameters, including body mass index (BMI) and hemoglobin levels, among newly married couples from diverse districts. The objective is early detection and intervention as part of statewide maternal and child health programs.
Originally initiated as a pilot project in Nashik, the program has expanded to encompass numerous districts, namely Akola, Buldhana, Latur, Nanded, Akola, Dhule, Jalgaon, Ahmednagar, Kolhapur, Sangli, Ratnagiri, Sindhudurg, Nagpur, Wardha, Bhandara, Aurangabad, Jalna, Parbhani, Hingoli, Pune, Solapur, Satara, Thane, and Raigad.
Dr. Dayanand Suryawanshi, the district health officer of Palghar, highlighted the challenge of newly married couples frequently relocating. This migration can lead to pregnant women missing essential medical follow-ups. To address this issue, the health department aims to proactively reach out to newly married couples, conducting health examinations before potential migration.
The health assessments for women also cover diabetes, HIV, hemoglobin levels, sickle cell anemia, as well as chronic conditions such as hypertension, tuberculosis, severe anemia, epilepsy, cardiac ailments, reproductive tract infections, and goitre, among others.
An official from the health department, speaking on the condition of anonymity, mentioned that if a woman’s BMI falls below 18.5 or exceeds 25, she is referred to a tertiary care hospital for further evaluation. Maharashtra has recently achieved the second position in India in reducing maternal mortality rates, decreasing from 38 per 1 lakh live births to 33 per lakh live births. Kerala secured the top position in this regard.
