HEALTH
8.8 lakh women receive calls from ‘Mobile Mitra’ for counselling on pregnancy and infant care
Tabassum, a pale fair young woman who resides in the slums of New Seemapuri on Delhi-Ghaziabad border, is all of twenty-four. She is already pregnant with her third baby. The two-room tenement of 240 square feet houses Tabassum, her husband Mohammed Asif, 29, and their two children, 4-year-old Mohammed Ayan and 2-year-old daughter Ayat.
On Mondays and Thursdays, she excitedly awaits the ring on her mobile phone. A community health worker in her locality has enrolled her for a free voice call service 'mMitra,'or Mobile Mitra, that will guide her through her pregnancy — until her baby turns one — providing crucial information on how to tackle childbirth safely.
She is one of the 2.5 lakh women in Delhi NCR, who has been receiving free voice call services over the past year. The service has been facilitated by NGO Armman, along with six government and charitable hospitals including Safdarjung Hospital and Red Cross Society Hospital, and thirteen NGOs.
One cannot help notice a second-hand washing machine standing tall at the corner of a cramped room in Tabassum's home. "My husband gifted me this a month ago," she says.
During the birth of their first two babies, her husband was not attentive towards her health; but his attitude towards her changed after the voice calls started coming in. Asif works as a rickshaw driver.
"At times, my husband receives the call. He carefully listens to all the tips and makes sure I adhere to them. He got me a washing machine to reduce my drudgery so that I would not have to bend down to wash clothes. He also gets me a fruit a day, after listening to the calls," she says.
Dr Aparna Hegde, founder of NGO Armman observes that the attitudinal changes of husbands towards their wives have been substantial after listening to voice calls.
"What is heartening is that the voice calls caused behavioural change in the husbands of pregnant women. In a randomised control trial of mMitra — in the control group which did not receive any voice calls — 80 per cent husbands did not smoke at home or were amongst non-smokers, while in the group that received voice calls, this increased to 90 per cent. This indicates that the sensitivity of family members increases when they are empowered with information," says Dr Hegde.
Reema Kumari, 23, who delivered her baby Harshit three months ago, is edgy. She stays in the resettlement colony of New Seemapuri in a rented house.
She has not received mMitra voice calls for two weeks. Community worker, Jyoti, says they will report a technical glitch.
"I love getting calls from mMitra. They advised me on the right intake of calcium and iron supplements during my pregnancy. After my child was born, they advised me on the right methods of breastfeeding, tips on vaccination among other things. The calls are empowering for a mother like me, who stays away from my in-laws and parents," says Kumari.
Earlier, Kumari used to gulp down iron and calcium tablets together. Consuming iron and calcium together causes problems for a mother's health.
"I was suffering from hot flashes. Then one day, while I was listening to the voice call, I learnt that there has to be a gap of two-three hours between consumption of calcium and iron," she says.
During the entire duration of pregnancy, and until the child turns one, the beneficiary and her family receive a total of 145 voice calls, each lasting between a minute to two, flagging danger signs to watch out for during childbirth, explaining the importance of not clubbing iron and calcium tablets together, tips to tackle diarrhoea in infants, testing for HIV-AIDS, importance of going for check-ups, as well as the need for family planning.
"In cases when the beneficiary has had an abortion or a stillbirth, she may give a missed call to the call centre to discontinue calls, as it is very disturbing to receive calls when you have lost a child," said Dr Hegde.
Beneficiaries are enrolled in hospitals or by NGO workers in the community. Up till March 8, 2017, close to 8.8 lakh women have been enrolled across Delhi, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Bihar and Haryana, of which 2.5 lakh are from Delhi. The programme aims to cover 22 lakh women by the end of 2019.
Karisma Kapoor reveals this actress on Hum Saath Saath Hain set would sit alone, eat only…
Ratan Tata's neighbours share stories of everyday encounters with him, say he was...
Viral video: Internet can't stop gushing over this little girl's breathtaking dance, WATCH
THIS Gautam Adani company's shares are in spotlight as it raises Rs 42000000000 in...
Delhi-NCR's air quality turns 'poor', AQI reaches...
India-Canada row: ‘No action on request to arrest Lawrence Bishnoi gang members’, says MEA
Cyclone Alert: Odisha coast likely to face cyclone next week, IMD issues alert
Noida school horror: Victim's mother reveals 'my daughter was told...'
‘India and Pakistan should bury the past’: Nawaz Sharif after S Jaishankar's visit
'Dil to bachcha hai ji': Rahul Gandhi's heartfelt interaction with kids, WATCH viral video
JEE Main 2025: NTA releases important notice on JEE Main exam pattern
Blow to Mukesh Ambani as Reliance Jio loses 10.9 million subscribers due to...
Joe Biden reacts to Hamas Chief Yahya Sinwar's killing, says 'that obstacle no longer exists but...'
Viral video: Desi girl's sizzling dance to 'Aaj Ki Raat' impresses internet, watch
Watch: Heartwarming video of girl treating slippers like a baby goes viral
Earn Rs 250000000 through THIS NASA challenge: Here’s how you can participate
DNA TV Show: Bahraich murder accused shot in police encounter near Nepal border; 5 held
Good news for Narayana Murthy, Infosys net profit rises to Rs 6,506 crore
Tamannaah Bhatia questioned by ED in Guwahati in money laundering case, details inside
Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar killed in Gaza, Israel PM Netanyahu confirms
UGC NET June 2024 Result DECLARED: NTA announces UGC NET 2024 June exam result online, check here
Did IDF eliminate Yahya Sinwar, or has Martyr been born in Gaza?
Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar among 3 killed by Israel? Israel Defense Forces updates
Kangana Ranaut's Emergency finally cleared by CBFC, new release date...
Here's the film after which Shah Rukh Khan started drinking, his co-stars were Aishwarya Rai and...
Akash Ambani, Shloka Mehta live on 27th floor of Rs 15000 crore Antilia, here's why
Young entrepreneur’s Rahul Sachdeva journey to make foreign education accessible
Is Rajinikanth's Poes Garden home flooded amid Chennai rains? Here's the truth behind viral video
'My family is broken but..': Zeeshan Siddiqui's first reaction to father Baba Siddiqui's death
DNA Auto Award 2024 Has Spoken: Jawa 42 FJ, bringing Neo-classic revolution in Motor Industry
Apple iPad 10th gen vs iPad 9th gen: Should you buy or wait for iPad 11?
Nita Ambani's hairstylist explains why haircuts can't fix damage and offers solutions
Bigg Boss Kannada's Kiccha Sudeepa retires from hosting duties, says 'let's make this season...'
Air India flight from Mumbai transmits emergency signal over London, claims Flight tracker
Elon Musk applauds India's decision: Spectrum allocation favors open access and innovation
BIG UPDATE on IPL auction, Saudi Arabia to host event, will take place on...
Two Bahraich violence accused shot by police in encounter while fleeing to Nepal; 5 held
'I won’t be returning': South African legend bids farewell to Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of IPL 2025
Indian stargazers spot rare, ancient comet after 80,000 years, see breathtaking pics
'46 all-out new 36 all-out?': Cricket Australia trolls India after batting collapse vs New Zealand
Karwa Chauth 2024: Know the date, timings, history and significance
Mukesh Ambani's Jio superhit 5G plan, offers 90 days validity with unlimited data
IND vs NZ: Virat Kohli equals THIS unwanted record with 9-ball duck against New Zealand in 1st Test
Proba-3: ISRO to launch ESA Solar Eclipse Mission with precision satellites
'Law not blind': Supreme court makes 2 BIG CHANGES, unveils new justice lady and replaced…
J-K: Several CRPF Jawans injured in road accident in Budgam, probe underway
Who is Justice Sanjiv Khanna named CJI Chandrachud's successor, could become next Chief Justice?
Mukesh Ambani's BIG move: Reliance investors to get this DIWALI bonanza, know details here
'Ravan ko kisne maara?' This kid's hilarious answer will leave your in splits, WATCH viral video
Nayab Singh Saini takes oath as Haryana CM in presence of PM Modi, BJP brass
IND vs NZ: India all out for 46 runs, lowest test score at home
Hunter's Moon 2024: NASA drops first glimpse of brightest Supermoon, shares its significance