Ludhiana Administration Intensifies Mission Jeevni; ADC (RD) Holds Consultative Meeting with SMOs to Strengthen High-Risk Pregnancy Management

Ludhiana, August 18, 2026: In a major step towards strengthening maternal healthcare and preventing avoidable maternal deaths in the district, a consultative and deliberative meeting under Mission Jeevni was held today under the chairmanship of Dr. Narinder Singh Dhaliwal, PCS, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Rural Development), Ludhiana, with the Senior Medical Officers (SMOs) from across the district and the Deputy Medical Commissioner, Ludhiana.
The meeting formed part of the special intensive campaign under Mission Jeevni, aimed at ensuring zero preventable maternal deaths in District Ludhiana through early identification of risk, timely medical intervention, effective referral and close monitoring of every high-risk pregnancy.
The discussion was deliberately structured as a consultative exercise, with SMOs sharing field-level experiences, challenges and suggestions regarding the existing maternal healthcare and referral system. Particular emphasis was placed on strengthening the High-Risk Pregnancy (HRP) Referral Protocol, identifying gaps in referral mechanisms and ensuring that women requiring higher-level care are referred in a timely and coordinated manner.
Detailed deliberations were also held regarding the preparation of an individualised Birth Plan for every High-Risk Pregnancy, availability of ambulances at health facilities, coordination with ASHAs and adequacy of manpower dealing with pregnancies at various health institutions. These were among the key issues identified for discussion in the meeting communication issued under Mission Jeevni.
Dr. Dhaliwal stressed that tracking of every High-Risk Pregnancy must be proactive and continuous, rather than limited to routine reporting. Each SMO was asked to maintain close oversight of HRP cases falling within his or her jurisdiction and ensure that a clear treatment, referral and delivery plan is in place well before the expected date of delivery.
It was further conveyed that the Deputy Commissioner, Ludhiana, would personally review the status of High-Risk Pregnancies with all SMOs on a weekly basis. During these reviews, the status of identified HRP cases, medical risks involved, follow-up undertaken and the Birth Plan prepared for each case would be examined so that emerging complications could be anticipated and addressed in advance.
The ADC (RD) emphasised that Mission Jeevni seeks to build a system in which no high-risk pregnant woman is lost to follow-up and no preventable maternal death occurs because of delays in identification, referral, transportation, treatment or institutional planning.
The SMOs also deliberated upon various clinical and operational issues being faced at the field level and suggested measures for improving coordination between different levels of the public health system.
Dr. Dhaliwal stated that the district administration would continue working in close coordination with the Health Department and field medical officers to strengthen the maternal healthcare continuum. He called upon all SMOs to treat every High-Risk Pregnancy as a priority case and ensure early identification, regular tracking, timely referral, assured institutional delivery and case-specific birth preparedness.
The meeting concluded with a collective resolve to further strengthen the district-level mechanism under Mission Jeevni and work towards the goal of “Zero Preventable Maternal Deaths in Ludhiana.”