Previous Year Question
With reference to the ‘Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan’, consider the following statements:
This scheme guarantees a minimum package of antenatal care services to women in their second and third trimesters of pregnancy and six months post-delivery healthcare service in any government health facility.
Under this scheme, private-sector healthcare providers of certain specialities can volunteer to provide services at nearby government health facilities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Only 1
Only 2
Both 1 and 2
Neither 1 nor 2
Correct Answer: B
Detailed Solution
The Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) is an initiative of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. It provides assured, comprehensive and quality antenatal care to pregnant women during the second and third trimesters on a fixed day.
Under PMSMA, pregnant women are examined at designated government health facilities on the 9th day of every month. The objective is to ensure that every pregnant woman receives at least one comprehensive antenatal examination by a doctor or specialist during the second or third trimester.
Statement 1 is incorrect. Its first part—provision of antenatal care during the second and third trimesters—is correct. However, PMSMA does not guarantee six months of post-delivery healthcare at any government health facility. Such a post-delivery guarantee is not part of the defined PMSMA package. The addition of this incorrect element makes the entire statement incorrect.
Services under PMSMA generally include:
clinical examination related to pregnancy;
blood-pressure, weight and foetal assessment;
essential haemoglobin, blood and urine investigations;
identification of high-risk pregnancies;
medicines and counselling; and
monitoring and referral of identified high-risk cases.
Statement 2 is correct. PMSMA provides for voluntary participation by private-sector specialists and healthcare providers. Specialists such as obstetricians, radiologists and physicians may volunteer their services at nearby government health facilities. This helps improve access to specialist care in places where the public system faces shortages.