The Health and Family welfare department in Andhra Pradesh has initiated three more important healthcare programmes viz., Sishu sanjeevani, Akshya and Ammakulana, to contain infant mortality rate, malnutrition and health care support for pregnant women respectively. All these three healthcare programmes are funded by the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM).

The programmes have been initially taken up on a pilot basis at Bhadrachalam and Khammam in the state. As Bhadrachalam and Khammam are high density tribal population zones in the state, the state government has initiated these projects to ensure that the vulnerable tribals in the region get the maximum healthcare benefits out of these healthcare initiatives.

In fact, in many recent surveys it is revealed that the tribal areas in AP have recorded highest infant mortality rate along with large number of malnutrition and pregnant women death cases in the state. With 52 per cent children dying every year, cases of child malnutrition-related deaths in AP are the highest among the southern states.

In view of this, the state government has commenced three new health programmes which include Sishu Sanjeevani, aimed at providing special care for newborn babies and to cut down on infant mortality rate; Akshya project is aimed at providing nutrition rehabilitation centres for thousands of children suffering with malnutrition and Ammakulana programme is aimed at supporting the healthcare needs of pregnant women.

“The main aim of these programmes is to reduce the infant mortality rate in the state which is 46 deaths per every 1000 live births. At this rate about 66000 infants are dying every year. To contain this we have initiated Sishu Sanjeevani project, and flagged off 44 special care units for newborns in Area and District Hospitals. Each unit having 12 to 24-beds is taken care of by four trained staff including a paediatrician, staff nurses and lab technician, along with relevant equipment to take care of high risk and sick newborns,” said, Praveen Prakash, commissioner of health and family welfare.

About 33 nutritional centres having a bed capacity of 10-20 beds are being set up under Akshya project in the rural hospitals and tribal areas which are aimed at taking care of nutritional rehabilitation for the poor tribal children. These centres will have a medical officer, staff nurse and nutritionist for clinical management and monitoring the growth of children.

An important noble feature of the program is that, mothers, who bring their children to the NRCs (Nutritional Rehabilitation Centre), will be compensated for any wage loss.

The Ammakulana programme is aimed at giving ante-natal check-up of pregnant women and providing regular mobile alerts and services by health advisors.