3 weeks ago
Sudha Murty urges national policy for postpartum depression screening
After a baby is born, some mothers feel very sad, worried, and extremely tired.
This is called postpartum depression, and it is a real medical condition.
In India, about one out of every five new mothers may have this problem.
A respected leader named Sudha Murty spoke about it in the Rajya Sabha, a part of India's government that makes laws.
She said many mothers suffer in silence because people rarely talk about these feelings.
She asked the government to make a national plan to find and help mothers with postpartum depression.
She showed everyone that the state of Karnataka already helps such mothers.
There, specially trained health workers called ASHA visit new mothers at home and ask them simple questions to check how they feel.
If a mother needs help, she is sent to a doctor or offered counseling over the phone.
Sudha Murty wants this same care and kindness for every new mother across India.
Rajya Sabha MP Sudha Murty flagged postpartum depression as an 'essential yet frequently overlooked' healthcare issue requiring central government attention.
Studies show one in five new mothers in India experience postpartum depression, a serious medical condition marked by sadness, anxiety, and fatigue after childbirth.
Murty called for a national policy and screening framework for maternal mental healthcare, saying most women 'suffer in silence.'
She cited Karnataka's model, where ASHA workers use a NIMHANS-designed questionnaire under the Thayi Card Scheme to screen mothers for depression during home visits.
She requested the government expand Karnataka's questionnaire nationwide through the Mother & Child Protection Card and train ASHA workers to recognise early warning signs.
- Who
- Sudha Murty, Rajya Sabha MP and chairperson of the Murty Trust
- What
- Raised postpartum depression as an overlooked healthcare issue and called for a national policy and screening framework for maternal mental healthcare
- Where
- Rajya Sabha, the Upper House of India's Parliament, New Delhi
- When
- Tuesday, during a special mention in the Rajya Sabha (exact date not specified)
- Why
- Because studies show one in five new mothers in India experience postpartum depression, yet it is rarely discussed, causing suffering and long-term harm to mothers and children
Key facts
- Speaker
- Sudha Murty, Rajya Sabha MP and chairperson of the Murty Trust
- Issue
- Postpartum depression (PPD) among new mothers
- Prevalence
- One in five new mothers in India affected
- Venue
- Rajya Sabha, New Delhi
- Demand
- National policy and screening framework for maternal mental healthcare
- Karnataka Model
- Mental health checks under the Thayi Card Scheme using a NIMHANS-designed questionnaire with ASHA workers
- Proposed Expansion
- National rollout via the Mother & Child Protection Card
Quotes
Sudha Murty
Member of Parliament and chairperson of the Murty Trust
“"I would like to bring to the attention of the government an essential yet frequently overlooked dimension of healthcare, that is maternal mental healthcare."”
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“"I humbly request the government to create a national policy on maternal mental health which should expand Karnataka’s questionnaire."”
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