Question : Reproductive and Child Health Portal (RCH)

(a) the number of pregnant women registered in Reproductive and Child Health Portal (RCH) during each of the last three years and the current year;
(b) the number of rural and remote areas dominated by SC/ST that have been covered in Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS)/RCH portal;
(c) whether the Government has organized any awareness programme about RCH Portal/MCTS for thebenefit of pregnant women;
(d) if so, the details thereof and the challenges faced by the Government while implementing the awareness programme;
(e) the funds allocated and utilized under MCTS during each of the last three years and the current year along with the achievement made as a result thereof, State/UT-wise; and
(f) the steps taken by the Government to facilitate timely delivery of antenatal and postnatal care servicesto all the pregnant women along with immunization to the children?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(DR. BHARATI PRAVIN PAWAR)

(a) The total number of pregnant women registered on the RCH/MCTS portal across the country during 2018-19, 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22(till 14th December 2021) is given below:

Financial Year No. of Pregnant Women Registered on
RCH/MCTS Portal
2018-19 1,79,544,45
2019-20 1,88,30,430
2020-21 1,44,99,532
2021-22 (as on 14th Dec 2021) 78,39,841

(b) The MCTS/RCH portal covers the country as a whole, having the mapping of rural and urban areas separately. However, no such mapping of rural and remote areas dominated by SC/ST is maintained on MCTS/RCH Portal.
(c) & (d) RCH Portal is a digital initiative for early identification and tracking of the individual beneficiary throughout the reproductive lifecycle of women and promote, monitor and support the State/UTs for reproductive, maternal, new-born and child health (RMNCH) schemes/programme delivery and reporting. Workshop and training programmes for RCH portal and ANMOL (ANMOL is a tablet version of the RCH portal) are conducted on a regular basis at National, State and Regional level with participation from States/UTs. The States conduct training for district and block data managers, data entry operators and ANMs /ASHAs. Review meetings and field visits to assess the performance of the RCH portal and to provide training on new features, and refresher trainings are conducted regularly.
(e) Since RCH portal is maintained centrally by MoHFW, separate funds for implementation support of MCTS/RCH Portal are not allocated to States/UTs.
(f) Primary responsibility of improving access to healthcare facilities, including timely delivery of antenatal and postnatal care services to all the pregnant women along with immunization to the children lie with the respective State/UT Governments. To address the healthcare challenges, National Health Mission (NHM) supplements the efforts of the State/UT Governments to provide accessible, affordable and quality healthcare to all.
The various steps taken under the National Health Mission, to facilitate timely delivery of antenatal and postnatal care services to all the pregnant women are as follows:
• Surakshit Matritva Aashwasan (SUMAN) to provide assured, dignified, respectful and quality healthcare to every woman and newborn visiting the public health facility.
• Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides a minimum package of antenatal care services including investigations and drugs on the 9th day of every month.
• Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to free antenatal checkups, delivery and complications.
• LaQshya improves the quality of care in labour room and maternity operation theatres to ensure that pregnant women receive respectful and quality care during delivery and immediate post-partum.
• Monthly Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSND) for Community Outreach through the Monthly Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSND) for provision of maternal and child care services.
• MCP Card and Safe Motherhood Booklet are distributed to the pregnant women for educating them on diet, rest, danger signs of pregnancy, benefit schemes and institutional deliveries.
• Engagement of more than 10 lakhs Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) for community mobilization
• Regular IEC/BCC is also a part of all the schemes for greater demand generation.
Further, under the Universal Immunization Programme (UIP) by Government of India, vaccination services are provided to all eligible beneficiaries including children, adolescent and pregnant women for 12 Vaccine Preventable Diseases (VPDs) through approximately 1.2 crore sessions yearly. Vaccines are supplied to all areas across the country including rural and remote areas through 29,000 Cold Chain Points (CCP). The children due for vaccination are listed and mobilized by ASHAs and AWWs. Similarly, in the urban areas, the vaccination services are provided at vaccination centres.