Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr.Nitish Kumar launched the deployment of Mamta in Bihar on the 3rd of August 2008 and Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ms. Vasundhara Raje launched the Yashoda brochure in Rajasthan on the 11th of September 2008. This intervention of providing essential born care through these facility based newborn aides is supported by NIPI.
Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ms. Vasundhara Raje launching the Yashoda brochure
Safe motherhood program, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) in India under its NRHM has increased institutional delivery from 10.85 million in 2005-06 (NRHM was operationalised in 2005) to 13.59 million in 2007-08. This sudden influx of beneficiaries in the public health institutions is a definite opportunity in the history of public health in India; but also it has emerged as a challenge to provide quality health service. The public health facilities are challenged with lack of infrastructure, manpower and other facilities to coordinate and ensure quality service delivery. While the NRHM efforts are focused on strengthening infrastructure and manpower which are long term interventions, NIPI’s response to optimise the benefits of JSY during the stay of the mother and the newborn is introduction of an innovative volunteer support worker at the facility with high delivery volumes, named Yahsoda (a legendary foster mother of Indian mythology)/Mamta. She is a voluntary worker compensated based on performance incentive. She will support and assist the nurse in the provision of various non clinical activities from the time the pregnant woman enters the facility till she leaves the hospital with the new born.
Chief Minister of Bihar, Mr.Nitish Kumar launching the deployment of 'Mamta' in Bihar
First 24 – 48 hrs after delivery is the most crucial phase for the newborn baby and mother. During this period, Yashoda will support mother for immediate and exclusive breast feeding; orient the mother about basic newborn care and immunization and assist the nurse in various post natal care activities for making the newborn and the mother comfortable.
Apart from helping the mother to de-stress, Yashoda will use this time to counsel the mother on family planning options and fertility choices. She will counsel the mother and her family on the various steps in newborn care after leaving the facility including, nutrition for mother and the new born, feeding practices, complementary feeding, immunisation including service delivery points, days, use of referral and other relevant information.
This innovative cost effective intervention has been introduced state wide covering 38 district hospitals and selected CHC in Bihar and 15 district hospitals in Orissa, with large delivery volume on a on daily basis. MP and Rajasthan have initially introduced this intervention in three districts. While Yashoda support can contribute to improving the confidence of the mothers utilising the services of the government facility and motivate them to stay for a longer duration, initiate immediate an exclusive breast feeding, immunization and learn basic newborn care, she is not a solution to all issues related to quality newborn care and she is not substitute to the existing nursing or paramedical staff in the hospital.