PUNJAB HEALTH MINISTER LAUNCHES “SIRJAN” MOBILE APP TO REDUCE MATERNAL MORTALITY RATE IN PUNJAB

Chandigarh (The Uttam Hindu): In a bid to improve maternal and newborn care, Punjab Health and Family Welfare Minister Dr Balbir Singh on Tuesday, launched a mobile-app “Sirjan", a cutting-edge digital platform aimed at empowering healthcare providers to deliver comprehensive care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period. The Health Minister was accompanied by Mission Director National Health Mission-cum-special secretary Health and Family Welfare Punjab Ghanshyam Thori, Director Family Welfare Dr Jasminder and Deputy Director Mother and Child Health Divison Dr Navjot. Jhpiego under Born Healthy Program supported the Government of Punjab in developing Sirjan.

Dr Balbir Singh, while addressing the gathering said that the android-based application will prove as a game-changer auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and medical officers in tracking high-risk pregnancies to deliver comprehensive antenatal, intra-partum and postnatal care. It will also strengthen the identification, tracking, and management of high-risk pregnancies, ensuring timely and appropriate care, he said, while adding that it also facilitates a continuum of care for the beneficiary from antenatal period to post delivery period. He said that the mobile application can be connected to digital devices through bluetooth which transfers the parameters of beneficiary directly to the application and no manual entry is required. This application helps in informed decision making through identification of high-risk pregnancies based on vitals registered on app and also helps in generation of work plan, MCP card and dashboard for ANMs, he added.

He said that high risk pregnancies will be flashed in MO’s app, which will help patient in getting quick quick medical help and the treatment given by MO can be uploaded on app, which will be reflected back to concerned ANM using the application. In Labor room all the vitals can be recorded on app which flashes any danger sign or need for referral to higher facility, he said. The Health Minister also emphasised the critical need to address Punjab’s high maternal mortality rate and commended the initiative as a step forward in ensuring healthier outcomes for mothers and newborns.

Meanwhile, the platform will be piloted in the districts of Taran Taran and Gurdaspur initially, with plans for further expansion based on its impact. Aim of the program is to reduce low birth weight by 10% through improvement in processes for pregnant mothers.