What Impact Have SARS-CoV-2/Covid-19 Pandemic on the Reproductive and Child Health Programme of India over the 3 months after nationwide Lock down announcement in March 2020 -A brief analysis.

Background: The delivery of reproductive and child health services is of utmost importance and prime concern in India particularly because of huge population with limited resources, poor infrastructure and huge demand on healthcare system. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic had presented a challenge even for developed healthcare systems around the world. Objectives: The main aim of this research is to find out Impact of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on the Reproductive and Child Health Programme in India over the 3 months after Lockdown imposition countrywide in March 2020 due to Covid-19 pandemic. Settings & Design: Different indicators group of RCH programme 2020 (immunisation, maternal & child health, family planning) for India were collected from Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India and compared from previous year 2019 data for the period of three months(April/May/June) and presented in tables and graphs to understand the situation. Materials & Methodology: Secondary data from HMIS of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare Government of India for 3 month of April, May, June 2019 & 2020 were taken for analysing and understanding the impact of pandemic on RCH programme over 3 months after nationwide lock down announced in march 2020 viz. April/May/June 2020. The data obtained is analysed by using Microsoft Office software. Result: The analysis of secondary data obtained from HMIS of Ministry of Health & Family Welfare website (Provisional figure & mentioned free for distribution) for RCH programme of India shows that the lock down period & initial early phase of SARS-CoV-2 during above mentioned 3 months pandemic have a negative impact over the delivery of Reproductive & Child Health services reflected through important indicators of which are also affected negatively. Besides the pandemic the Nation is also having lack of resources, manpower poor infrastructure as well as lack of positive deviance at community level. These are the barriers in fact beside the epidemic. It seems that there is lack of proper plan to deal with such pandemic situation. Conclusion: India has taken various strategies to ensure delivery of RCH services but it seems to be insufficient to give the desired results. The barriers of healthcare system and delivery of services constraints should be rectified added with a proper dynamic plan to carry on usual RCH services even in pandemics and natural disasters. India needs to develop an exclusive plan to tackle such situations such as establishment of separate cadre of health worker for RCH services to ensure the healthcare of women and children’s in any natural disasters and calamities.