PAU celebrated National Safe Motherhood Day 

Ludhiana, April 11, 2022: Department of Human Development and Family Studies, PAU, Ludhiana celebrated ‘National Safe Motherhood Day’ by organizing a one day workshop for the overwhelming more than 100 participants that included KVK scientists, CDPO, supervisors and anganwadi workers across Punjab state. The objective of the workshop was to sensitize the audience and make deeper understanding of safe motherhood so that they can further disseminate the information among their clientele in order to decrease the maternal mortality rate in Punjab. The guest speakers of the workshop were Dr. Seema Kaushal, Gynaecologist, Civil Hospital, Ludhiana and Mrs. Shelly Bansal, Programme manager, Child protection, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Chandigarh. The session started with the introductory note given by the Dean, Dr. Sandeep Bains, College of Community Science, PAU, Ludhiana. She addressed the audience with need and importance of celebrating the ‘National Safe Motherhood Day'.

The speaker, Dr. Kaushal started the session and capacitated the audience with the knowldege regarding safe pregnancy and child birth in order to uplift the reproductive health status of women and the newborn baby. Further, the expert gave information regarding the measures for family planning, routine check ups in health care centres, safe immunisation and the facilities provided by the government in health care centres like ECG, tetanus injections, supplementary medicines that women can avail for free during pregnancy.

The next speaker Mrs. Bansal discussed about the signs and symptoms of developmental delays among children. She talked about prenatal and postnatal techniques to identify any abnormalities in the babies. She also highlighted schemes and policies related to child and mother care. The whole workshop provided a platform for the frontline workers dealing with rural women and children for discussing their day to day issues and problems they face at the grassroot level. Dr. Prachi Bisht and Dr. Rashmi Upreti were the coordinators of the event. Dr. Ritu Mahal was the moderator and all the PG students helped in organizing whole event successfully.

At the end of the session, Dr Deepika Vig , Head of the Department, Human development and Family Studies presented a vote of thanks to the speakers, Dignitaries and faculty members with an assurance to make such sessions a regular feature of the departmental activities.