Assam Emerges as Healthcare Success Story, MMR Now Better Than National Standard

Assam has recorded a significant improvement in maternal healthcare, with the state's Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) declining from 480 deaths per one lakh live births to 84, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Friday. Citing the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) Bulletin 2022-23 and findings from the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), Sarma described the achievement as a milestone in Assam's healthcare transformation. He said the state's current MMR is now below the national average of 88, marking a major turnaround from its earlier position among the country's poorest-performing states on maternal health indicators.

Addressing a public programme, the Chief Minister recalled that when he took charge as Assam's Health Minister in 2006, the state had one of the highest maternal mortality rates in India. He said Assam was then nearly 300 points behind the national average and ranked among the weakest states in healthcare outcomes. According to the latest SRS report, however, the state's MMR has fallen to 84, placing Assam in the 10th position among Indian states and four points ahead of the national average.

Sarma attributed the improvement to sustained policy interventions and long-term investments in the healthcare sector. He said the government focused on expanding healthcare infrastructure, increasing institutional deliveries, strengthening maternal and child healthcare services, enhancing budgetary allocations and promoting awareness among expectant mothers. According to him, these combined efforts have significantly improved maternal health outcomes and helped reduce preventable deaths during pregnancy and childbirth.

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The Chief Minister also asserted that Assam's public healthcare system is now among the most efficient in the country and has evolved from being a laggard to becoming a contributor to India's overall health progress. He said the government would continue investing in healthcare infrastructure and welfare programmes to sustain the gains achieved over the past two decades and further improve health indicators across the state.

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