Health Ministry to launch nationwide celebrations for 10 years of PMSMA; Nadda to release Rs 75 coin, Rs 5 stamp
New Delhi, June 8
The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will launch nationwide celebrations from Tuesday to commemorate "10 Years of PMSMA - A Decade of Care", marking a decade of the successful implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan, one of India's flagship initiatives aimed at ensuring safe pregnancy and healthy motherhood.
According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the inaugural ceremony will be presided over by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Jagat Prakash Nadda.
As part of the celebrations, awareness and outreach activities will be organised across States and Union Territories to encourage pregnant women and their families to avail the nine assured free services available under PMSMA and promote the importance of timely and quality antenatal care.
Furthermore, a special ₹75 Commemorative Coin and a ₹5 Postal Stamp will be released by Union Minister Nadda to honour a decade of the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan's contribution towards advancing safe motherhood and strengthening maternal healthcare services across the country.
Launched on June 9, 2016, by Prime Minister Modi, the scheme has spent a decade transforming the landscape of maternal and neonatal healthcare by providing free, comprehensive, and quality Antenatal Care (ANC) services to pregnant women on the 9th of every month.
Marking a decade of excellence (2016-26), PMSMA is a vital pillar of the Government of India's Continuum of Care approach under the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCH+A) Strategy, dedicated to transforming the quality, coverage, diagnostics, and counselling services of Antenatal Care (ANC), thus impacting crores of families and significantly reducing the country's maternal mortality ratio (MMR).
The programme follows a systematic approach to engagement with the private sector, which includes motivating private practitioners to volunteer for the campaign, helping develop strategies for spreading awareness, and participating in the Abhiyan at government health facilities.
The PMSMA aligns with the broader goals of the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health plus Nutrition (RMNCAH+N) strategy under the National Health Mission (NHM).
The main objectives of the scheme include ensuring that every pregnant woman receives at least one check-up by a physician/specialist during the second or third trimester, improve the quality of care during antenatal visits, identifying and managing high-risk pregnancies (HRP) at an early stage, appropriate birth planning and complication readiness for each pregnant woman, ensuring appropriate management of women with malnutrition and a special focus on adolescent and early pregnancies.
— ANI
Reader Comments
As someone who works in healthcare, I've seen firsthand how PMSMA has improved antenatal care. The fact that they now identify high-risk pregnancies early and involve private practitioners is a smart move. But I wish they'd also address the shortage of specialist doctors in rural areas - many women still travel hours for a check-up. The stamp and coin are nice symbolic gestures, but real change happens when every pregnant woman has access to quality care without barriers. 🇮🇳
Interesting to see how India is commemorating a decade of maternal health progress. I'm from the US and we don't have such a structured national program like PMSMA. The focus on monthly check-ups and private sector engagement seems very practical. It's heartening that MMR has reduced significantly because of this. While ₹75 coin may seem small, it symbolizes the value of every mother's life. Good to see cross-country learning opportunities here.
Very good initiative by the government. My wife used PMSMA services during her pregnancy and we got free ultrasound and blood tests. The doctors were very professional. But I have one suggestion: please ensure the schemes reach more women in tribal areas. Many times the ASHA workers don't have enough supplies. Otherwise, kudos to the team for completing 10 years! 👏
A decade of PMSMA is indeed a big achievement. But let's be honest - while coin and stamp releases are photo-ops, the real measure is whether maternal mortality continues to drop. I appreciate the focus on high-risk pregnancies and malnutrition, but I'd like to see more data on how many women actually get all nine assured services. As a taxpayer, I want accountability, not just celebrations. Still, any progress in saving mothers is welcome.
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