Bright Side Stories: How Odisha's IAS Officers Made Free Scans Reality For Pregnant Women

Pregnancy should be a time of hope, not worry. But for many women in rural India, access to basic healthcare, especially during pregnancy, is limited and costly. In Odisha's Ganjam district, a unique initiative called Nirikhyana is changing that, making free ultrasound scans available to pregnant women in remote villages.

A Life-Changing Support for Mothers

Jhili Rout, a 25-year-old mother of two from Aruapalli village, remembers the struggles of her first pregnancy.

“We had to borrow ₹1,600 for two ultrasound scans. It was a big amount for us,” she says.

Her husband works as an agricultural labourer, and the family of eight lives on a tight budget.

But during her second pregnancy, things were different. Through the Nirikhyana scheme, Jhili received three ultrasound scans, one each in her third, seventh, and ninth month, completely free of cost.“I was shocked when they said it's free. But they didn't ask for any money at the health centre. It felt like a big relief,” she shares.

How the Nirikhyana Scheme Works

The Nirikhyana initiative was officially launched in 2023 by District Collector Dibyajyoti Parida IAS after noticing the huge gap in diagnostic services during his visits in 2022. Many rural women had to travel over 70 km to get a scan, and often skipped it due to cost and distance.

To solve this, the district formed Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) with diagnostic centres, both government and private. Now, over 40 centres across the district offer up to three free ultrasound scans to pregnant women.

The Role of Technology

A major part of the scheme's success is the Nirikhyana mobile app, designed with the help of Berhampur Sub-Collector Dheenah Dastageer IAS. This app allows local health workers to register pregnant women, refer them to nearby clinics, and track high-risk pregnancies in real time.

This digital system makes it easier for doctors to monitor cases and helps ensure timely action in case of complications.

Big Impact, Real Results

Before the scheme, only 30% of registered pregnant women received ultrasound scans. Now, that number has jumped to over 128%. Detection of high-risk pregnancies has increased from 4% to 25%.

Most importantly, maternal mortality has dropped from 97 to 69, and neonatal deaths from 18 to 9 in just two years.

A Vision for the Future

Officials now plan to add AI-powered alerts to the system, helping doctors respond even faster. The project has also inspired entrepreneurs to set up diagnostic centres in rural areas, boosting healthcare and local economy.

With initiatives like Nirikhyana, Odisha is showing how thoughtful policy and technology can together make motherhood safer, no matter where a woman lives.

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