Reducing Maternal and Child Deaths Top Priority for Jharkhand Health Department: Shashi Prakash Jha

Ranchi, November 3, 2026: Strengthening maternal and child healthcare services, ensuring accurate reporting of deaths and improving the quality of health data have emerged as key priorities for Jharkhand's Health Department. A three-day state-level Training of Trainers (ToT) workshop on Maternal, Perinatal and Child Death Surveillance and Response (MPCDSR) began on Tuesday at Hotel Radisson Blu in Ranchi.

The workshop has been jointly organised by the Department of Health and UNICEF to improve the monitoring, reporting and analysis of maternal, perinatal and child deaths across the state. The inaugural session was attended by Shashi Prakash Jha, Campaign Director of the National Health Mission (NHM), Jharkhand, who formally inaugurated the programme by lighting the ceremonial lamp.

Several senior health officials and representatives from UNICEF attended the event, including Dr Kanika Mitra from UNICEF, Dr Ashwini, SRC-HO, State Immunisation Officer Dr Vijay Kishore Rajak, State IEC Nodal Officer Dr Rahul Kishore Singh, IDSP Nodal Officer Dr Pradeep Kumar Singh, Dr Vishal Kataria, Dr Vanesh Mathur and Dr Rajesh Mehta, among others.

Addressing the participants, Shashi Prakash Jha said reducing maternal and child mortality remains the highest priority for the state's health system. He emphasised that achieving this goal requires strict administrative monitoring, accountability and sincere implementation of healthcare services at the grassroots level.

He stressed that accurate registration and reporting of stillbirths and infant deaths are essential to understand the actual situation and identify the reasons behind such incidents. He also made it clear that negligence in Sample Registration System (SRS) reporting and database management would not be tolerated.

Jha further pointed out that government health programmes can deliver meaningful results only when information is entered into official databases accurately and within the prescribed timelines. He called for clear accountability in cases involving child deaths and urged officials to ensure that the causes are properly identified so that preventive measures can be implemented.

Highlighting the importance of emergency maternal healthcare, the NHM Campaign Director instructed health officials to ensure timely communication whenever a pregnant woman experiences labour pain or faces a medical emergency. Health Sahiyas and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) must promptly inform the concerned authorities so that alternative ambulance arrangements can be made without delay.

He also directed officials to identify pregnant women suffering from severe anaemia and ensure their immediate referral to higher healthcare facilities for appropriate treatment.

The workshop also highlighted the importance of community participation in improving maternal health and nutrition. Jha called for greater awareness about the harmful consequences of social practices such as child marriage and stressed the need for collective efforts to prevent them.

He further underlined the role of family support during pregnancy, stating that pregnant women should receive adequate emotional support from their families. Health officials have also been asked to strengthen awareness campaigns encouraging timely antenatal check-ups and institutional deliveries.

During the three-day programme, participants are discussing ways to improve the accuracy of maternal and child death reporting, strengthen data quality, identify the actual causes of deaths and examine serious cases through detailed case studies.

At the conclusion of the first day's session, the trained participants were instructed to take the knowledge and technical guidance gained during the workshop to their respective districts and blocks, ensuring that frontline health workers also benefit from the training.

The workshop will conclude on Thursday, November 5, with the objective of strengthening the state's surveillance and response mechanisms and improving maternal and child health outcomes.

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