Pregnant Chennai Women To Register On PICME Database

The Greater Chennai Corporation recently urged pregnant women to register themselves on the PICME database. The Pregnancy Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) database was initiated with an aim to reduce maternal mortality rate in the city. Registration will allow the government to monitor the health of pregnant women at regular intervals.

The PICME database comes under the public health department's Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) scheme. It aims to aid pregnant women in maintaining their health during and after pregnancy.

Registration process

To register, pregnant women can visit the nearest urban primary health centre or government hospitals and medical college hospitals. They will be provided with a Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) ID.

The TOI reported, "Maternity details can be recorded by dialling the maternity and child health helpline number 102, by visiting the nearest e-Seva service centre or by logging on to the PICME website. A pre-registration number can be obtained. Subsequently, an urban health nurse would visit the pregnant woman and issue an RCH ID card bearing a 12-digit code."

The government has started issuing birth certificates to only those women who have the RCH ID. Also, any queries related to PICME registration may be sent to picmehelpdesk@gmail.com.

Maintaining health records

Pregnant women who register themselves in the database will have several facilities available to them. They will receive periodic reminders via SMS about prenatal and post natal healthcare. Additionally, they will be eligible for government schemes like Dr Muthulakshmi Reddy maternity incentive. They will also be provided with the required assistance in maintaining their health. Consequently, the scheme is expected to keep a check on maternal mortality rate in the area.

"Pregnant women who return to native villages or towns must inform the urban health nurse prior to leaving Chennai. The urban health nurse will relay the maternity particulars to the concerned urban or village health nurse to ensure care is uninterrupted," TOI reported.