Andhra Pradesh - Karimnagar   

SMS alerts for healthy mother and child

KARIMNAGAR: In order to attract rural womenfolk to government hospitals and encourage institutional deliveries and reduce mother mortality rate (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR), the district administration has embarked upon an ambitious Short Message Service (SMS) alert system (Mathrudevobhava) to the expecting mothers from July 11 onwards.

To start with, the SMS messages would greet the pregnant women with “congratulations”, “have a healthy life for giving healthy and stronger future generation', “her next date of visit hospital for necessary treatment”, next vaccinations and diagnostics tests etc.

Diet details

Besides, the authorities would also send SMS messages abut the diet to be taken during the respective months of pregnancy, dos and don'ts for specific individual cases etc. In future, they would also send other health messages.

Data base

At a meeting with the District Medical Officers here on Saturday, Collector Smita Sabharwal instructed the authorities to create a perfect data base and information of expecting mothers in coordination with the ANMs and feed the same in computers for sending the messages frequently. Against the total of 71 PHCs in the district, the administration had decided to launch SMS alert in 25 PHCs on a pilot basis and later extend to all the PHCs.

She said that the SMS alerts would be send for ante-natal and post-natal check ups and also for the vaccination of new born children.

Trial run

She instructed the medical officials to complete the trail run of the ambitious SMS alert system before June 2 in all the selected 25 PHCs. She said that she would personally check the information being sent to the pregnant woman during the trails and check corrections to avoid confusion and sending of wrong messages. DM&HO Dr Vishnumohan and others were also present.

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