Jaipur: After several maternal deaths in the last few months, the Rajasthan government has introduced the ‘Prasav Sakhi’ (Birthing Companion) system in the government hospitals of the state. The initiative is aimed at providing better support, guidance, and timely treatment to high-risk pregnant women coming to government hospitals.
The initiative is an outcome of a five-day special campaign in which 37,558 high-risk pregnant women were identified as suffering from anemia, hypertension, diabetes, and other complications by examining the records of more than 3.56 lakh women.
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According to guidelines issued by the Medical and Health Department of the state, this system will be implemented in a phased manner across medical college-affiliated hospitals, district hospitals, and First Referral Units (FRUs) with high delivery caseloads.
Under this new system, trained nursing staff, ANMs, or other selected female health workers—wearing pink aprons—will serve as ‘Prasav Sakhis’ who will assist high-risk pregnant women at every stage, right from hospital admission to delivery and postpartum care to discharge, and will coordinate processes such as registration, testing, medical consultation, treatment, access to specialist services, and referrals when necessary.
The Principal Secretary of the Medical and Health Department, Gayatri Rathore, said that 24×7 Maternal and Child Health Help Desks would be established in each designated hospital, serving as the primary point of contact for pregnant women and their families.
“The ‘Prasav Sakhi’ stationed at the help desk will provide information regarding hospital services, tests, and treatments, while also guiding patients and their families. An integrated system linking the ‘104 Janani Express,’ the help desk, and the ‘Prasav Sakhi’ will ensure safe transportation from home to the hospital and seamless service delivery within the facility,” said Gayatri Rathore, adding that high-risk pregnant women will be accorded priority in both transportation and treatment.
Notably, the government-run hospitals in Kota, Bikaner, Jodhpur, and Banswara have reported as many as 31 maternal deaths in the past few months. These deaths prompted the government to initiate the special screening of pregnant women across the state.
