Ganjam gets SKOCH award for initiating free ultrasound tests of pregnant women

Berhampur: Ganjam district administration will receive the SKOCH Award for its Nirikhyana programme, an initiative providing free ultrasound facilities to pregnant women. The award will be presented to district collector Dibyajyoti Parida and his team in New Delhi on Saturday.
"Over 1 lakh pregnant women have benefited under the initiative after the programme was launched formally in 2023," said Parida. The district administration has partnered with private hospitals to ensure accessibility. A mobile app was developed to alert pregnant women about essential tests. The district administration decided to provide free ultrasound tests three times to the expecting mothers at their nearest hospitals.
"For this purpose, the district administration tied up with private hospitals to provide free ultrasound tests. Pregnant women get these facilities at their nearest hospital. With its focus on both urban and rural beneficiaries, Nirikhyana has bridged the gap in health care accessibility, particularly in remote areas," he added.
The initiative has reduced maternal and neonatal mortality rates, officials said. Maternal mortality rate dropped from 97 in 2021-22 to 69 in 2023-24, while neonatal mortality rate fell from 18 to 9 during the same period.
Early detection of high-risk pregnancies and timely treatment have played a crucial role in the improvement, said the collector.
Berhampur: Ganjam district administration will receive the SKOCH Award for its Nirikhyana programme, an initiative providing free ultrasound facilities to pregnant women. The award will be presented to district collector Dibyajyoti Parida and his team in New Delhi on Saturday.
"Over 1 lakh pregnant women have benefited under the initiative after the programme was launched formally in 2023," said Parida. The district administration has partnered with private hospitals to ensure accessibility. A mobile app was developed to alert pregnant women about essential tests. The district administration decided to provide free ultrasound tests three times to the expecting mothers at their nearest hospitals.
"For this purpose, the district administration tied up with private hospitals to provide free ultrasound tests. Pregnant women get these facilities at their nearest hospital. With its focus on both urban and rural beneficiaries, Nirikhyana has bridged the gap in health care accessibility, particularly in remote areas," he added.
The initiative has reduced maternal and neonatal mortality rates, officials said. Maternal mortality rate dropped from 97 in 2021-22 to 69 in 2023-24, while neonatal mortality rate fell from 18 to 9 during the same period.
Early detection of high-risk pregnancies and timely treatment have played a crucial role in the improvement, said the collector.