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Rajasthan: Chief Secy directs stronger support for timely transport of pregnant women

Jaipur, Oct 3 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Secretary V. Srinivas on Saturday reviewed the operation and management of the ‘104 Janani Express’ service at the Government Secretariat and directed officials to strengthen arrangements for transporting pregnant women, particularly those with high-risk pregnancies, to hospitals on time.

The Chief Secretary stressed the need for better coordination between maternal healthcare services and the Janani Express service to ensure timely transportation during emergencies.

Srinivas directed officials to regularly assess the utilisation of each ambulance and identify areas for improvement based on reports from the field.

He emphasised strengthening local-level operational arrangements, so available ambulances can be utilised more effectively, and women in need can access timely transportation.

He also instructed officials to conduct a detailed review of the day-to-day functioning of the Janani Express call centre.

The review should cover the entire process, from receiving calls for assistance to dispatching ambulances.

The Chief Secretary further directed officials to link call records with monthly reports for review at the level of the Director of Reproductive and Child Health.

This, he said, would help improve coordination between the identification of high-risk pregnancies and transportation support.

Srinivas called for a comprehensive review of the operation and management of the ambulance service.

During the meeting, officials also discussed options for managing the service through an open tender process or a public sector undertaking as part of the forthcoming operational arrangements.

Mission Director of the National Health Mission, Jogaram, said that 600 ambulances are available under the Janani Express service across Rajasthan.

He said that from January 2021 to December 10, 2025, a total of 18,86,048 beneficiaries had availed themselves of the service.

He added that the service is currently being operated through the Rajasthan Medicare Relief Society and that all 600 ambulances are expected to be fully operational from July 2026.

The meeting was attended by Chief Government Secretary, Medical and Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education Department, Gayatri A. Rathore; representatives of the Finance Department; Director of Public Health; Additional Mission Director of the National Health Mission; Director Finance; Project Director; Store Officer; State Nodal Officer; and other concerned officials.

–IANS

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