Maternal Mortality Rate significantly reduced in Meghalaya, thanks to MOTHER Policy: Conrad Sangma

Shillong: Meghalaya, which had high  (MMR) has witnessed rapid reduction in the death of mothers during and after child delivery over the past five years due to the consistent efforts of the state government through positive interventions in the health sector, especially through the MOTHER policy, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said on Thursday.

The MOTHER policy (Measurable Outcomes Transforming Health sector through a holistic approach with a focus on women’s Empowerment) provides quality healthcare services to mothers and infants by providing transit homes and vehicles for transport of high-risk pregnant and expectant mothers.

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There are over 2.2 lakh beneficiaries with over 80 transit homes and 150 vehicles for free transport stationed at the PHC/CHC on 24×7 basis to transport pregnant women without any cost.

“We are determined to achieve zero MMR in the state,” Sangma asserted in the course of his address after flagging off the cross-country bike expedition by ‘Yashaswini’, a group of CRPF women bikers from Shillong on Thursday.

The CRPF, in collaboration with the Union Ministry of Women and Child Development is organizing this bike rally to celebrate ‘Nari Shakti’ (women power) in the country.

The Chief Minister said that he had always believed that true development can only happen when "we are able to touch every life, when we are able to develop and take forward every individual, when we are able to bring in equality among genders and among communities".

Stating that the rally is a tribute to ‘Nari Shakti’, which is an age-old tradition of “our culture and a sheer display of women strength and resilience”, Sangma said, “Meghalaya and the cultural history of our state, people and our tribes have already been practicing this for many centuries. Meghalaya is a matrilineal society and the tribes have been working for Nari Shakti and equality since centuries”.

Sangma said that various efforts have been made to ensure that women also take part in the overall economic activity and mentioned that Meghalaya is one of the few states that has passed a resolution to reserve 50 percent posts of secretary and presidents of Village Employment Councils for the women.

The Chief Minister also highlighted that over the past five years, the participation of women in Self Help Groups has increased from 30,000 to 4.5 lakh in the state, which, he said, underscored the government's ongoing commitment to empowering women.

Sangma also congratulated Prime Minister and the Central government for passing the historic Women’s Reservation Bill and said that women’s participation in all walks of life is a must for their empowerment.