Union Health Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda will launch the ‘SUMAN Roadmap 2030’ at the 16th conference of the Central Council of Health and Family Welfare (CCHFW). The objective of this roadmap is to improve maternal and newborn health services and help achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) related to reducing maternal and newborn mortality rates.
The SUMAN Roadmap 2030 outlines evidence-based measures specifically tailored for states and districts to address gaps in maternal and newborn health services. It adopts a ‘life-cycle approach’ encompassing care from the pre-pregnancy stage through the postpartum period—while aligning with the RMNCHA+N framework to integrate child health, adolescent health, family planning, and nutrition services.
This roadmap outlines targeted and time-bound strategies for 130 districts across 13 priority states—Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and West Bengal. It also includes strategies for all states and Union Territories to sustain progress and achieve universal coverage of maternal and newborn health services.
Its objective is to improve timely registration, quality antenatal care, clinical examinations, and postnatal care. The roadmap also emphasizes community-based measures—such as door-to-door outreach by ASHA workers during the third trimester of pregnancy—to facilitate screening, counseling, birth preparedness, and institutional deliveries. Additionally, the roadmap recommends financial assistance for caregivers, improved referral transport for childbirth-related emergencies, and better infrastructure for maternal health (such as birth waiting homes, MCH wings, HDUs, and ICUs), particularly in areas with limited facilities or difficult access.
Along with the Maternal Health Roadmap, Nadda will also release the Operational Guidelines for the National Ambulance Service (NAS) 2026, aimed at establishing a uniform and efficient emergency medical transport system across the country. Ambulance services are the first link in emergency care, providing assistance and safe transport before reaching the hospital. These guidelines standardize these services to ensure high-quality and timely assistance across the country.
These guidelines establish uniform national standards for ambulance deployment, staffing, equipment, training, and service quality. They enhance pre-hospital care by ensuring timely patient stabilization, appropriate transport, and proper referral. A key feature is the establishment of Integrated Command and Dispatch Centers (ICDCs) equipped with GPS tracking, triage systems, real-time monitoring, and advanced call management capabilities. This framework also facilitates integration with the national emergency number 112 for better coordination and faster response times.
To strengthen the emergency referral system, the guidelines propose GIS-based mapping of health facilities, referral centers, ambulance bases, high-risk areas, bed availability, and critical care capacity. This will enable dispatch teams to identify patients and rapidly transport them to the most appropriate facility. Additionally, to ensure the optimal use of resources and rapid response, emphasis has been placed on deploying ambulances based on data such as emergency calls, accident hotspots, referral patterns, traffic conditions, terrain, and accessibility. (PIB)
