Timely action by Manju at Potka addresses woman’s critical postpartum issues

Sahiyya didis and trained healthcare worker from MANSI +, a programme by Tata Steel Foundation, comes to rescue

Jamshedpur, Sep 20: 

Jamshedpur, Sep 20: Archana (name changed), a resident of Chakadi village, Potka, was extremely uncomfortable following her delivery. Two weeks into postpartum, she was struggling to walk or sleep. 

Renumati Sardar — a government accredited social health activist (ASHA) or sahiyya didi trained under Tata Steel Foundation’s (TSF) Maternal and Newborn Survival Initiative (MANSI+) — and Manju Rani Mehto, a trained community member involved with the programme in identifying high-risk cases, during their scheduled visit to their house, realised that something was wrong.

“We got a strange smell from the home and saw that she was unable to walk. On inquiring about her delivery, she informed us that it was a normal birth and there was nothing out of the ordinary. However, I was not convinced and suspected that something was awry,” said Manju.

They both suspected that perhaps a nurse pad must have been used during delivery was not properly removed and is causing discomfort to Archana and the foul smell. A nurse pad is used to control heavy bleeding after birth. Their examination of Archana confirmed their suspicion and they immediately got to work. Archana did not know that the nurse pad had even been used. She was advised to remove it and informed by the two frontline workers to contact the doctor in case of any further bleeding. Manju Rani and Renumati’s prompt actions saved Seema from further complications and illness.

Like Archana, women in and around Potka are provided pre and post-delivery care under MANSI. 

After a decade of successful implementation of MANSI across 1700 villages in 12 blocks across three districts of Jharkhand and Odisha, an enhanced version of MANSI viz MANSI+ has been rolled out through the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model in the Kolhan region of Jharkhand covering all 38 developmental blocks across three districts viz East Singhbhum, West Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan. This programme will cover 5000 villages across over a period of 5 years (June, 2021 – May, 2026) and will reach out to approximately four million marginalized and vulnerable tribal populations in the region.

MANSI+ in its new enhanced avatar has been conceived as a life cycle approach, seeking to reduce preventable maternal, new-born and under five years aged child mortality by 50% (from baseline) and improved health outcomes in adolescents and young children in continuum of care.