Bengaluru: In a major step towards improving maternal health in Bengaluru, the BBMP health department has launched an AI-based pilot initiative called 'Savemom' to help pregnant and lactating mothers monitor their health and ensure safer deliveries.
Though the BBMP's Special Commissioner for Health, Suralkar Vikas Kishore, shared details of the initiative on 'X' on Wednesday, he clarified that the project was actually launched over a month ago.
"Earlier, all information regarding maternal health in the city was fragmented. The Savemom application, utilised in this pilot project, enables medical officers within the BBMP to understand the health of pregnant women in their respective areas and provide necessary interventions," he explained.
The application offers a centralised information pool accessible to pregnant women, ASHAs, medical officers, and doctors from private clinics and hospitals. It tracks symptoms, vital signs, health facility visits and test results, among other data. By analysing this information, the system can identify markers indicative of high-risk pregnancies.
Dr Maheshwari Madhava, a medical officer in the office of the special commissioner, revealed that at least 300 pregnant women have registered on the platform, with around 15 identified as having high-risk pregnancies. "Currently, this project is being implemented in the Shankar Nagar and Austin Town urban primary health centres," she noted.
For those identified with high-risk pregnancies, a smart wearable device resembling beads will be provided to monitor their condition until delivery. Additionally, the application will facilitate a 1,000-day follow-up for both pregnant women and their infants. Post-delivery care, including the baby's vaccination status, can also be tracked through the application, added Kishore.
The pilot study will enable the BBMP to evaluate the platform's effectiveness and gather feedback on its usability. "We will monitor the application's performance for at least six months before considering a citywide launch," he added.
Published 25 September 2024, 23:51 IST