GoI's Comprehensive Infant & Child Health Programme Pilot To Launch In Rajasthan

Jaipur: The central government's 'Samekit Shishu Bal Swasthya Karyakram' (SSBSK) (Comprehensive Infant and Child Health Program), aimed to provide timely, high-quality healthcare services to young children, will be launched on a pilot basis in the Bharatpur and Alwar districts of Rajasthan.

Pilot programme in Rajasthan

Gayatri Rathore, Principal Secretary of Medical and Health, said, "This initiative will provide high-quality healthcare services to the children up to three years of age to ensure their healthy development."

Under this Government of India (GoI) initiative, special attention will be given to all children from birth to three years of age, and their health, nutrition, and development will be monitored regularly, and children who need more care or specialised treatment will be identified early.

Under the program, children will be categorised as either at-risk or normal according to their specific needs. At-risk children will receive regular home follow-ups and will be referred for treatment to the nearest health centre or a hospital if required.

Focus on early intervention

“The ultimate goal of the program is to reduce the mortality rate of children under five years of age by facilitating health workers to identify issues and start treatment before a child's health deteriorates further,” said Gayatri Rathore.

An app called the Shaishav App has been developed to help ASHA workers to examine children and monitor their health status. Through this app, ASHA workers can log health data, helping them to identify the children requiring immediate attention or medical intervention.

Furthermore, post-hospitalisation follow-ups will also be conducted. Healthcare workers will receive timely information and alerts directly through the app in case subsequent medical care is needed.

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Workshop discusses implementation

The pilot action plan of SSBSK, its assessment, and the roles of the centre, state, and partner organisations were discussed in the national workshop organised by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, in Maharashtra recently.