One of the most critical phases of a person’s life is their childhood and one of the most critical phases of a woman’s life is during and after their pregnancy. The expecting mother must take care of herself and the life growing within her to avoid any sort of complications later which can be fatal to her life and the child’s. However, the reality is far from the ideal. Around 1.3 million maternal deaths occurred between the years 1997 and 2020; there aren’t merely numbers but the lives of women who were bringing new life to the world.
To never face such statistics and to improve the lives of mothers and their children, the government of India launched the Mother and Child (MCP) Card. The government card was introduced to provide a protective shield to mothers and their children so that they can safeguard themselves in the initial critical years to later lead a healthy life without developing any vulnerability to serious illnesses.
| Name of the card | Mother and Child (MCP) Card |
|---|
| Launched by | Indian government |
| Launched in | 2009 |
| Objective | To improve and safeguard the lives of mothers and their children, especially in children’s early years of development |
| Benefits | Quality healthcare, pre and postnatal care, vaccination, etc. |
| Eligibility | Pregnant and expecting women and children under the age of 5 years |
| Application mode | Offline |
Read more: PM Matritva Vandana Yojana in 2024
Condition Of Mother And Child In Society
India is known worldwide for its culture and tradition and is steadiness on the ladder of development. The condition of mothers and children has improved significantly, especially in urban areas but many rural and remote areas continue to struggle. There has been a significant drop in maternal mortality rates which came down from 387 in the year 2000 to 96 in 2020. However, women residing in rural and remote areas face complications during and after childbirth due to various factors like limited infrastructure development, poor connectivity, inadequate quality of healthcare services and professionals, etc. One of the contributing factors is literacy and awareness as well as many mothers still choose home deliveries rather than visiting the hospitals.
Children aren’t vaccinated at the right time due to which they develop vulnerabilities to serious illnesses and diseases later in their lives. Other factors like malnutrition, poor hygiene, lack of clean drinking water, etc. contribute toward their abnormal and unhealthy development. India is on the path of improvement and is working on enhancing the quality of essential services irrespective of where the individual might be from.
What Is An MCP Card?
The Mother and Child (MCP) Card is a card launched by the government of India in the year 2009 to help monitor the health and well-being of mothers and children from pregnancy to early childhood. The MCP Card is issued by the government healthcare departments to the beneficiaries which helps them in accessing various essential quality services.
Read More: LaQshya Programme
Uses Of The MCP Card
The Mother and Child (MCP) Card is an essential tool that is designed to help both, mothers and children during the critical period of their lives. There are innumerable uses of the card such as:
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Improved access: Through the MCP Card, beneficiaries can easily access various essential services like healthcare for both, mothers and children.
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Vaccination: The MCP Card helps the mothers take care of all vaccinations that a child must take at correct intervals of time.
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Nutrition: The MCP Card also comprises dietary information for mothers and young children so that neither of them faces the risk of malnutrition.
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Other govt schemes: The card is also linked with other govt schemes that ensure that eligible mothers can reap its benefits.
Components Of The MCP Card
The Mother and Child (MCP) Card comprises some key information for both, mothers and healthcare facilities. Let us have a look at all of them.
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Antenatal care: Details of the mother’s health check-ups and risk factors during pregnancy.
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Birth Information: Record of place and type of delivery, weight at the time of birth, and the baby’s APGAR score.
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Immunisation: Vaccination schedule for both, mother and child at correct intervals.
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Nutritional status: Provides guidance on supplements, diet, and feeding practices for mothers.
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Growth monitoring: Tracks the physical and psychological growth of the child.
Read More: Balika Samridhi Yojana
Steps To Improve Immunisation Coverage
One can improve the immunisation coverage provided under the Mother and Child (MCP) Card through the following ways.
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Awareness campaigns: Increasing awareness about the importance of vaccination in both, rural and urban areas can be of great help.
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School and Anganwadi centres: Spreading awareness through places like schools and Anganwadi centres helps spread awareness about vaccination.
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Digital messages: Occasional messages about the need for vaccination can educate people as well.
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Reinforcement: Offering some rewards to families after every vaccination of their child can be a great aid in improving the coverage of vaccination.
Schedule For The Antenatal Visits
Under the MCP Card, registered mothers are entitled to receive 4 antenatal check-ups at the following times:
| Visit | Duration |
|---|
| First Visit | O to 12 weeks |
| Second Visit | Between 16 to 24 weeks |
| Third Visit | Between 28 to 32 weeks |
| Fourth Visit | Between 36 to 38 weeks |
Eligibility Criteria
Interested individuals first need to ensure whether they fit into the eligibility criteria or not. The eligibility criteria for the Mother and Child (MCP) Card is as follows:
Application Process
Eligible women and children can apply for the Mother and Child (MCP) Card by following some simple steps mentioned below:
Step 1: Please visit any government hospital, Primary Health Centres (PHCs), or any Anganwadi centre.
Step 2: Request them to help you apply for an MCP Card.
Step 3: After the necessary formalities, the MCP Card will be issued.
Read More: Palna Scheme
Required Documents
Applicants need to submit some supporting documents to successfully apply for an MCP Car. The list of the documents is as follows:
Schemes Linked With The MCP Card
The Mother and Child (MCP) Card is linked with other government schemes to help mothers and children as much as possible. The Sarkari schemes are
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Janani Suraksha Yojana: The scheme provides financial aid to mothers, especially from low-income families opting for in-hospital deliveries.
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Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana: The govt scheme offers monetary help to pregnant and lactating mothers.
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Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan: The Sarkari Yojana provides pregnant women with at least one free health check-up during their 2nd or 3rd trimesters so that if there are any complications, they can be detected.
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Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram: The Sarkari Yojana provides access to healthcare services free of cost to mothers and children.
Read More: Pradhan Mantri Suraksha Bima Yojana (PMSBY)
Conclusion
The Mother and Child (MCP) Card is an invaluable govt scheme launched by the government of India to ensure that mothers and children are taken care of when they are in special need.
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