Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) currently stands at 30, higher than the national average of 25, Health and Family Welfare Minister Mukesh Mahaling informed the Odisha Legislative Assembly on Monday.
Replying to a query raised by MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati, the minister said that despite the higher rate, the state has recorded a significant decline in IMR over the past decade. Odisha has witnessed a 21-point reduction during the period, compared to a 15-point decline at the national level.
Mahaling said the government has undertaken several measures to reduce infant deaths. Regular health check-ups for pregnant women are being conducted across the state, while First Referral Units (FRUs) have been established to provide emergency maternal and newborn care.
He further informed that initiatives such as the Maa Gruha scheme for pregnant women in rural areas, Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) for sick infants and Lactation Management Units (LMUs) to support breastfeeding are being implemented to improve maternal and child health.
The minister added that community outreach programmes like the Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC) scheme and Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs) are also helping strengthen newborn care services at the grassroots level.
According to Mahaling, the government has set up 10 MLCUs and 15 Newborn Stabilisation Units (NBSUs), where 10,888 low-birth-weight babies have received treatment so far. Additionally, 28 Lactation Management Units have been established to assist mothers and improve infant care. Under the HBNC programme, ASHA workers visit households with newborns six to seven times within 42 days of birth to monitor their health and provide guidance to families.
