The Rajasthan government will launch a five-day statewide campaign beginning Wednesday, 16 July 2025, to conduct intensive antenatal health screening of all pregnant women across the state, officials announced on Tuesday, 15 July 2025. The drive, aimed at reducing the maternal mortality rate (MMR), will cover critical antenatal parameters, maintain prenatal records, and establish continuous monitoring of pregnant women through frontline health workers.

Key Directions Issued

Gayatri Rathore, Principal Secretary of the Rajasthan Medical and Health Department, issued detailed directives to medical officers statewide during a video conference held at Swasthya Bhawan in Jaipur on Tuesday. She instructed that the screening drive be conducted with 'utmost sensitivity and seriousness' through ASHA workers, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), and Community Health Officers (CHOs).

Rathore directed that every pregnancy must be registered within the first 12 weeks of conception, with all data entered promptly into the Pregnancy, Child Tracking and Health Services Management System (PCTS) portal. She also mandated that every pregnant woman receive a minimum of four quality Antenatal Care (ANC) check-ups, covering blood pressure, haemoglobin, weight, urine, blood sugar, and other essential investigations.

High-Risk Pregnancies in Focus

A central thrust of the campaign is the timely identification and continuous management of High-Risk Pregnancies (HRPs). Rathore directed all districts to build dedicated tracking systems for women with conditions including anaemia, hypertension, diabetes, previous Caesarean section, twin pregnancy, and excessive bleeding. Name-wise lists of all HRP cases must be maintained from the sub-health centre to the district level, with regular review by specialist doctors.

She further directed that a preliminary review and a formal Maternal Death Review (MDR) be conducted within 24 hours of every maternal death, with weekly reviews of HRP cases and strict accountability fixed wherever negligence is established.

Infrastructure and Compliance Requirements

All healthcare facilities have been directed to ensure the availability of essential life-saving medicines, adequate blood supply, fully functional labour rooms and operation theatres, and neonatal resuscitation equipment. 100 per cent compliance with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and national safe motherhood guidelines has been made mandatory.

Ravi Prakash Sharma, Director of Public Health at the Medical and Health Department, reviewed ANC and HRP-related issues with district medical officers and stressed the need for complete medical records to accompany every referral case. Jogaram, National Health Mission (NHM) Mission Director, noted that detailed guidelines for labour rooms and operation theatres had already been issued and directed Chief Medical and Health Officers to ensure strict compliance.

Context: Recent Maternal Deaths in Rajasthan

The campaign comes against a troubling backdrop. In recent months, maternal deaths linked to kidney failure following surgeries have been reported in Bhilwara, Banswara, Jodhpur, Bikaner, and Kota, according to officials. Rathore described every maternal death as 'a matter of grave concern' and said that ensuring quality healthcare throughout pregnancy, childbirth, and the postnatal period remains the state government's highest priority.

With accountability mechanisms now being formalised and a statewide screening drive underway, the coming weeks will test whether these directives translate into measurable improvements in maternal health outcomes across Rajasthan's vast rural and urban landscape.