{"id":713,"date":"2026-07-20T07:21:11","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T07:21:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/hihtindia.org\/blog\/?p=713"},"modified":"2026-07-20T07:29:01","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T07:29:01","slug":"strengthening-the-frontlines-empowering-uttarakhands-anms-to-protect-mothers-and-newborns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hihtindia.org\/blog\/2026\/07\/20\/strengthening-the-frontlines-empowering-uttarakhands-anms-to-protect-mothers-and-newborns\/","title":{"rendered":"Strengthening the Frontlines: Empowering Uttarakhand\u2019s ANMs to Protect Mothers and Newborns"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Imagine living in a remote village nestled deep within the breathtaking, rugged mountains of Uttarakhand. The views are spectacular, but the reality of life here can be incredibly harsh. When a pregnant mother goes into labor in these scattered, isolated communities, the lack of immediate transport and long distances to major hospitals turn a moment of pure joy into a race against time. In these critical moments, there is usually one person standing between life and death: the Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM). They are the frontline heroes, the first responders, and the true foundation of rural healthcare. While Uttarakhand has made commendable strides\u2014with the Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) dropping from 19 to 15 and the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) decreasing from 24 to 19 \u2014a heartbreaking challenge remains. The Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) still stands stubbornly high at around 99 per 100,000 live births.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To empower these brave healthcare workers and ensure that no mother or newborn loses their life to preventable complications, a new initiative named “SBIF Jivanam Project” has been officially launched. On July 6, 2026, the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust (HIHT) campus in Dehradun buzzed with hope and purpose. In an august ceremony, the Himalayan Institute Hospital Trust, in collaboration with the SBI Foundation and the Department of Medical Health & Family Welfare, Uttarakhand, officially inaugurated the project: \u201cSBIF Jivanam \u2013 Enhancing Competencies of ANMs to Reduce Maternal and Newborn Mortality in Uttarakhand.\u201d More than 2000 ANMs will be trained under the initiative in Uttarkahand.<\/p>\n\n\n

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The ceremony commenced with the traditional lighting of the lamp, symbolizing the elimination of darkness and the dawn of a healthier future for the state’s remote regions. The event was graced by the Honorable Health Minister of Uttarakhand, Shri Subodh Uniyal, who served as the Chief Guest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In his inspiring address, Health Minister Shri Subodh Uniyal reiterated that ANMs are the backbone of the rural healthcare system. He lauded the innovative partnership between the SBI Foundation and HIHT, expressing immense confidence that this structured training would give a transformative new direction to healthcare in Uttarakhand. The Minister also recognized HIHT\u2019s long-standing contributions across various development sectors in Uttarakhand.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Reaffirming the institution\u2019s core mission, Dr. Vijay Dhasmana, President of Swami Rama Himalayan University, expressed his gratitude and described the project as a definitive milestone for regional maternal and child healthcare. “Our institution has always been deeply committed to serving society through innovation, rigorous research, and capacity building,” Dr. Dhasmana remarked. He further elaborated that empowering frontline workers with advanced training directly aligns with the university’s vision of bridging the gap between tertiary medical expertise and remote rural communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mr. Rajeev Ranjan, Deputy General Manager at SBI, highlighted the bank’s extensive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, expressing confidence that the project would serve as a milestone in advancing Uttarakhand\u2019s healthcare outcomes. Echoing this sentiment, Ms. Isha Agrawal, Program Manager at the SBI Foundation, reaffirmed the organization’s long-term commitment to community development and noted that the targeted ANM training would directly strengthen the state’s maternal and child health indicators.<\/p>\n\n\n

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A major highlight of the day was the joint release of the ANM Training Manual by the Health Minister and other distinguished guests\u2014a practical guidebook designed to serve as a constant companion and clinical mentor for nurses in the field. The presence of ANMs from Haridwar and Dehradun districts underscored the immediate, real-world impact of the initiative, as these frontline workers represented the first cohort poised to translate this specialized training into life-saving care within their respective communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the programme concluded with a vote of thanks, it reinforced a shared commitment to improving maternal and child health across Uttarakhand. While the government plays a pivotal role in strengthening healthcare systems, achieving lasting reductions in maternal and infant mortality requires the collective efforts of all stakeholders\u2014including healthcare institutions, development organizations, corporate partners, frontline health workers, communities, and families. The SBIF Jivanam Project exemplifies the power of such partnerships, bringing together expertise, resources, and community engagement to build a stronger health system. More than a training initiative, it represents a collective promise that every mother and newborn, regardless of how remote their home may be, receives timely, skilled, and compassionate care, ensuring a healthier and safer beginning to life.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Imagine living in a remote village nestled deep within the breathtaking, rugged mountains of Uttarakhand. The views are spectacular, but the reality of life here can be incredibly harsh. When a pregnant mother goes into labor in these scattered, isolated communities, the lack of immediate transport and long distances to major hospitals turn a moment … Strengthening the Frontlines: Empowering Uttarakhand\u2019s ANMs to Protect Mothers and Newborns<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-health"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/hihtindia.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/hihtindia.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/hihtindia.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hihtindia.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hihtindia.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=713"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/hihtindia.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":720,"href":"https:\/\/hihtindia.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/713\/revisions\/720"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/hihtindia.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hihtindia.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/hihtindia.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}