Success-Stories-on-Health-Sector

PunJab
CHilD HEaltH aCtion Plan
ProblEm statEmEnt
Though the State of Punjab has better health indicators
as compared to many other States of the country, the
Government of Punjab is committed to raising the health
status of the people of the State. The rate of decline of
infant and child mortality has not been comparable to the
development of the State. The current IMR of 26/1000 (SRS
2013) and under-5 mortality rate of 34/1000 (SRS 2013) are
still very high. The child action plan (2014-2017) – part of
Mother and Child Health action plan is one cogent step in
that direction.
ProgrammE DEsCriPtion
The Mother and Child Health action Plan is a comprehensive
document that lays out steps to improve maternal and
child health in consonance with the RMNCH+A Strategy.
The plan lays out specific activities for the same:
a. Care of the mother during pregnancy and delivery.
b. Special care of the newborn child through Essential
newborn Care.
c. Care of the children through infancy up to 5 years
of age, during school going period and care of
adolescents.
d. Care of pre-pregnant women is also an important
component of the Mother and Child Health action
plan.
e. Emphasis has been laid on the care of the sick
newborn, Home-based newborn Care, infant and
Young Child Feeding, immunization, care of the sick
child especially those suffering from pneumonia and
diarrheal diseases.
f. Provision of free drugs and diagnostics for all infants
and for girl children up to 5 years of age.
g. Free Diagnosis and treatment of 30 diseases in
children has been provided under the Mother and
Child Health action plan.
h. Prevention of anemia with iron Folic acid
supplementation and biannual dose of Tabalbendazole
are important components.
i. Free treatment is provided to school children suffering
from heart diseases like RHD/CHD, Cancer and
Thalassaemia at government and empanelled private
super specialty hospitals.
j. Rational deployment of Human Resources and
training of Human Resources for multitasking are an
important part of the action plan.
k. Up-gradation of infrastructure, including
establishment of SNCUs, NBSUs and NBCCs at
different levels and construction of Mother and Child
Health Hospitals throughout the State are being
taken up to improve healthcare
services for children.
ProgrammE outComEs
it will help in decreasing the early nnM,
nnM, iMR, and under-5 mortality rate
of Punjab. Under-5 Mortality Rate has
reduced from 38 (SRS 2013) to 34 (SRS
2013) while iMR has come down from
28 (SRS 2012) to 26 (SRS 2013) and NMR
from 24 (SRS 2011) to 17 (SRS 2012).
imPlEmEnting PartnErs
USAID, IPE Global.
FinanCial invEstmEnt
Funds provided under RCH & Mission
Flexipool, immunization Programme
in the nHM PiP. Conclusions/Lessons
Learnt.
The operationalisation of SNCUs and
MCH centres started in 2012. There has
been remarkable improvement in the care
of sick newborns and reduction in their
mortality. it is hoped that the results of
this intervention would be clearer in the
next 1-2 years and the State would be able
to achieve the 12th plan targets and even
go beyond that.
sCalabilitY
at present the plan is to start MCH
centres and SNCUs at district hospitals.
After the initial study the SNCUs may be
extended to the sub-divisional hospitals with good caseloads,
depending upon the catchment area.
Contact
Department of Family Welfare, Punjab
Email: mchpunjab@gmail.com
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