If you are steeped in suffering, you find a savior too. The hapless people of Parvathipuram-Manyam district of Andhra Pradesh have come to realize this. Known for low literacy and high mortality rates, people of this region have long endured inhospitable terrain, wildlife conflicts, and a lack of access to good healthcare and infrastructure, leaving the entire district getting stuck in abject backwardness.
But one man, an IAS officer of 2014 batch, Nishant Kumar, emerged as a suffering- saviour. He reversed the trend of high mortality rates, a curse of this region, through his visionary programme. During his tenure as a district collector, between 2021 and 2024, he launched a programme called ‘Prism 10’ aimed at tackling maternal and child health issues. The programme brought impressive results, on the basis of which Nishant Kumar has been selected for the Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration in the category of ‘Innovation-District’ for the year 2023.
Before the ‘Prism 10’ programme was launched in 2022, the Infant Mortality Rate (IFR) stood at an alarming 24 (per 1,000 live births) and Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) at 129 (per 1 lakh live births). The immunisation cover was only 48 percent in the district.
‘Prism 10’ was designed to have a targeted approach. The first step was to rope in adoption officers, who were drawn from the village and ward secretariat system, self-help groups, anganwadi workers, and health department staff. They were instructed to specifically work for high-risk pregnant women and infants.
The next step was to use technology to achieve goals. Modern analytics was used to identify medical gaps and provide immediate services. Digital health platforms were pressed into action.
The expansion of medical services was another critical component of ‘ Prism 10’ project, for which twenty-nine mobile health clinics were pressed into service to provide health in remote areas. Through the “family doctor” programme, 282 community health offices strengthened the medical facilities in the tribal and interior areas. Anaemia action groups were tasked with reducing maternal and child anaemia. Secretariats were ordered to monitor the monthly progress of the project. In the next two years, results were visible everywhere.
The result: by 2024, the IMR had fallen from 24 to 8 and MMR from 129 to 67. The immunisation went up drastically from 48 percent to 97 percent.
