Rudraprayag, Oft it has been said that there are no medical facilities in the hills of Uttarakhand, but statistics state otherwise. Maternal mortality rates are highest in the plain districts of Haridwar, Udhamsingh Nagar and Dehradun compared to the hill-districts.
And there is good news there too! Rudraprayag District has become the first district in the hill-state to boast of an App dedicated to ‘would-be-mothers’. This ‘Maa App’ comes with a complete medical kit equipped with a Digital BP Machine, Stethoscope, weighing scale for mother and child along with a smartphone with sim.
Officially launched by MLA Bharat Singh Chaudhry and DM Mangesh Ghildiyal a week back, the App has over forty-five pregnant women registered on it. Tailor-made for mothers- to-be it assists them during pregnancy and ensures mother and child care.
Sharing more details about ‘Maa App,’ District magistrate Mangesh Ghildiyal adds, “The geographical terrain of the district makes it difficult to monitor regular health check-ups of pregnant women. With this App, high-risk pregnant cases will be identified way in advance and will be monitored by medical practitioners from time to time ensuring safe delivery of child and pre and post natal care.”
Funded by the Hans Foundation, 81 kits were distributed amongst Auxiliary Nurse Midwife deputed by the Health Department in villages dotting the district. Being termed as a welcome move by the district administration, the App will go a long way in bringing down fatalities of high-risk pregnancy cases.
Adding further, DM highlighted the fact that, “Sms alert is sent to ANM’s, Asha Workers, CMO when a woman’s due date is near. Medical help within the district is alerted and the woman is brought to Pratyasha a ten-bed, home-care facility fitted with television sets along with free food and lodging for mothers-to-be.”
Considered a blessing for both would-be-mother and child, the ‘Maa App’ has found many users in the district within a very short span of time. ‘Maa App’ will further ensure that maternal mortality rate is soon a passé in the hill-district of Rudraprayag, for starters.
