Pregnant women to get SMS on visits to Hospital

KARIMNAGAR: The Karimnagar district administration is all set to launch 'Amma Laalana', a programme in which expecting mothers would be sent short message service (SMS) alerts on antenatal and postnatal care, on July 9.The programme is aimed at attracting rural masses to government hospitals and encouraging institutional deliveries. It would be launched on a pilot basis in 25 of the total 71 primary health centres in Karimnagar district. Later, it would be extended to the remaining PHCs.To start with, the messages would greet the pregnant women with 'congratulations', 'have a healthy life for giving healthy and stronger future generation'. The pregnant women would also be informed about their next date of visit to the hospital and diagnostic tests, etc.The authorities would also send text messages about diet to be taken during respective months of pregnancy, etc. Later, the new mothers will be alerted about vaccination of the infant through SMS.The district administration, in coordination with the medical and health department, chalked out an action plan for implementing the ambitious project.For this, the authorities would make use of name-based information tracking system software provided by the government. Each of the pregnant women would be given a specific ID number and alerts would be sent accordingly through 'Way2SMS'. The authorities would also take help of auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs) and ASHA workers in implementation of the programme. They would motivate pregnant women to get enrolled in the primary health centres (PHCs) where their mobile numbers would be recorded. The mobiles could either be of the women, their husbands or other kin.The trial run of the programme is on in the district and the health department staff were given special training for executing the programme."We hope our initiative will help in encouraging rural women to approach hospitals for deliveries," district collector Smita Sabarwal said.