Surojmoni Mardi has been the lone hope and lifeline for around 900 people of remote Majuli No.3 village of Udalguri district since 2007. Right from the day she joined her professional assignment, Surojmoni knew the importance of her job profile.
“When I was appointed as the ASHA of this village, I was told that my primary role was to take care of pregnant women and lactating mothers. When I joined this service, the maternal mortality (MMR) rate was very high among the tea garden population in my area. Sensing my responsibilities, I walked the extra mile to create awareness on the issue focusing on the importance of regular check-ups, intake of necessary supplements, benefits of hospital delivery, etc.” she told Asom Barta.
With time, she grew in experience and her role transcended that of an ASHA to a counsellor and caregiver. “I am happy that people understood my intention and started following my instructions, especially on institutional delivery instead of home delivery. This bore results. The maternal mortality in my area decreased to a large extent,” she added.
Surojmoni informed this reporter that there has been a gradual shift from an insistence on normal delivery to C-section delivery based on their recommendation by observing the health status of the pregnant woman. “Pregnant women have started visiting either the Udalguri district hospital, Bandurguri State Dispensary or Mazkhuti Sub Centre,” she said.
The efforts of many like her, along with visionary initiatives by both the Central and State governments, have led to a phenomenal decline in the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR), enabling Assam to shed the unfortunate distinction as the state with the highest number of maternal deaths.
Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma announced this massive development and shared the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) of 2019–2021 report and posted in his X handle, “Huge breakthrough for Assam! As per the latest SRS 2019–21 report: MMR drops from 195 to 167 — a record 28-point fall, the highest among all States!”
This improvement is a turning point as the new figure of 167 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births represents the most substantial decline among all Indian States, a feat achieved through concerted efforts of numerous individuals towards healthcare reforms and community outreach. The all-India MMR stands at 93 deaths per 100,000 live births, as per the same report.
The good news for Assam is not limited to MMR. The SRS report also highlighted progress in the State’s Infant Mortality Rate (IMR), which dropped from 38 to 36 deaths per 1,000 live births. Although the IMR still exceeds the national average of 27 deaths per 1,000 live births, a consistent improvement reflects Assam’s strides toward providing better neonatal care.
The Chief Minister attributed this milestone to the collective efforts of healthcare workers, ASHAs and policymakers, “This milestone would not have been possible without the visionary leadership and unwavering support of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi ji. Gratitude to our healthcare workers, ASHAs and all who made this possible.”
A Health Department official speaking to this newsletter said the government is actively implementing comprehensive measures to prevent maternal morbidity and mortality.
Promoting institutional deliveries birth waiting homes have been established in remote and hard-to-reach areas such as Karbi Anglong, Dima Hasao, Dhubri, and South Salmara-Mankachar, etc. “Pregnant women are relocated to these accessible birth waiting homes about a week before their expected delivery date so that they could reach the health facility on time for safe delivery,” officials added.
To ensure safe deliveries, the department is also providing free referral transportation for pregnant women under Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK). Location-specific, need-based transport services are planned for rollout soon.
The official highlighted the positive impact of the Tea Garden Wage Compensation Scheme in reducing maternal deaths. “Traditionally, pregnant tea garden workers continue working until a day or two before delivery to earn their daily wages. This scheme provides ₹15,000 in four instalments to support their nutritional needs during pregnancy and the postpartum period.”
“Moreover, every maternal death is thoroughly reviewed at Block level , district level as well as state level to identify gaps and implement corrective actions,” the official added. “These consistent efforts are resulting in visible improvements,” the official concluded.
