Key Highlights
- Since its launch on 9 June 2016, PMSMA has served over 7.5 crore pregnant women nationwide.
- Monthly free antenatal clinics are held on the 9th of every month at designated public health facilities.
- The scheme screens for 25 high‑risk conditions and links identified cases to First Referral Units.
- Extended PMSMA (2022) provides up to three extra visits, SMS alerts and incentives for ASHA workers.
- Maternal Mortality Ratio fell from 130 (2014‑16) to 87 (2022‑24), a reduction of 43 points.
Detailed Insights
PMSMA is a centrally‑funded programme that guarantees comprehensive antenatal services—clinical examinations, blood and urine tests, ultrasonography, essential medicines, nutritional counselling, and birth‑preparedness education—free of charge to every woman in her second or third trimester. Specialist obstetricians, gynaecologists, or doctors trained in CEmONC/BEmONC conduct the examinations. High‑risk pregnancies (HRPs) are identified through systematic screening for conditions such as severe anaemia, gestational diabetes, pregnancy‑induced hypertension, HIV, syphilis, hypothyroidism, tuberculosis, multiple gestations, teenage pregnancy, and prior caesarean delivery. Early detection enables close monitoring, timely therapeutic interventions, and referral to First Referral Units for safe delivery.
The Extended PMSMA strategy, introduced in January 2022, augments the standard monthly check‑up with up to three additional visits for HRPs. Financial incentives are disbursed to both beneficiaries and Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), and SMS reminders are sent to ensure adherence to follow‑up schedules. These measures have expanded the programme’s reach to remote and underserved regions, contributing to a measurable decline in the Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) from 130 to 87 per 1 lakh live births.
PMSMA operates synergistically with other maternal health initiatives—Janani Suraksha Yojana, Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, POSHAN Abhiyaan, SUMAN, PMMVY, and the LaQshya Initiative—forming an integrated safety net that addresses financial, nutritional, and infrastructural dimensions of maternal care.
Key Concepts
- High‑Risk Pregnancy (HRP): A gestation complicated by medical or obstetric conditions that elevate the likelihood of adverse maternal or neonatal outcomes.
- First Referral Unit (FRU): A designated health facility equipped to manage obstetric emergencies and provide comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care.
- Extended PMSMA: An augmentation of the original scheme that offers extra antenatal visits, monetary incentives, and SMS‑based follow‑up for identified HRPs.
- Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR): The number of maternal deaths per 100 000 live births, used as a key indicator of maternal health status.
- Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA): Community health workers who facilitate access to government health services, including the dissemination of PMSMA information and follow‑up support.