A pilot project for equipping Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM) with a Digital Antenatal Care(ANC)
kit has been implemented.
In this project, more than 300 ANMs from Ranchi have been equipped with a Digital ANC kit and different Aanganwadi centers have been identified .
Now the Hemant Soren government claims to be planning to equip all the ANMs with the Digital ANC kit and improve maternal health figures in the State.
This innovative step which was taken by the government has started yielding positive results, claims a press release issued by the state government on Monday. “It is not only helping in reducing infant mortality rate, malnutrition & anemia, but also recorded rise in number of ANC registration in the District.”
*How the kit is helping bring the change*
With the use of the Digital kit provided by the government, ANMs are now able to conduct ANC check-ups. It is helping the rural women get the right feedback & take necessary steps to keep themselves healthy.
In the pilot project implemented in Ranchi District, the kit bag provided to the ANMs consists of an Infant & Adult Weighing machine, Digital Haemoglobin meter, Digital BP Monitor, and a fetal doppler.
Equipping ANMs with ANC kit has made it easy to identify high-risk pregnancies and also help in providing quality health check-ups to pregnant women. Apart from this, The Digital Haemoglobin meter is helping in the identification of anaemic mothers.
 Hand holding training & motivation sessions were organized for the ANMs to use the kit and motivate women from rural areas to get all 4 ANC checkups done.
*Convergence of Aanganwadi centers & strengthening of ANMs for bringing the change*
Apart from equipping and strengthening the ground force, the government is also conducting a few pilot projects to check for improvement in the comfort levels experienced by expecting mothers and increase the number of ANC registrations. To ensure this, more than 300 Aanganwadi centers in Ranchi District have been provided with an examination table & a three-fold green screen with the help of the CSR funds. This has been named the ANC corner.
On every VHSND(Village Health Sanitization & Nutrition Day) ANMs with the help of Sahiyas ensure that all the expecting mothers arrive at the Aanganwadi center and get their check-ups done. Installation of ANC corner is now proving to be a mobilization factor, Says an ANM from Namkum.
“Earlier in the absence of an examination table, it was difficult for us to do the check-up but now it has become easier and convenient. It also helped in creating a comfortable environment for pregnant ladies coming for check-ups. These days we can see better turn out as compared to the past”, Said Mukta Bakhla deputed in Horhab HSC of Namkum block in Ranchi.