Health authorities in Meghalaya's Samanda Block, located in East Garo Hills district, sat down for a detailed performance review of a digital tool called the Mother App, aiming to tighten oversight of maternal and child healthcare delivery across the block.
Who Took Part
The meeting drew together Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and Multi-Purpose Workers (MPWs), the frontline staff who interact directly with pregnant women and families in villages, alongside Medical Officers overseeing local health facilities. Senior state and district health officials also joined the session, which was chaired by the District Medical and Health Officer.
What the Review Covered
Participants examined how far the Mother App rollout has progressed in the block and discussed the practical difficulties frontline workers face while using it day to day. The conversation also turned to ways of tightening reporting mechanisms within the app, so that data entered by ANMs and MPWs translates into reliable records for supervisors, and to ensuring the platform is actually put to consistent use at the community level rather than remaining underutilised.
How the Mother App Works
The Mother App is the tool ANMs rely on to keep track of pregnant women registered in their area, flag high-risk pregnancies that need closer attention, and schedule timely follow-up visits. By digitising this tracking, the app is meant to reduce the chances of a mother or child slipping through the cracks between check-ups, helping maintain continuity of care from pregnancy through delivery and beyond.
Why Officials Stressed Regular Reviews
Officials at the meeting underlined that periodic performance reviews and decisions guided by real data are essential to strengthening Meghalaya's broader digital health systems and, in turn, improving maternal and child health outcomes. The session also drew attention to the central role frontline health workers play in using such digital tools to support safer pregnancies and better health results for families across the state.
