Kolkata: The Mamata Banerjee government has completely transformed child healthcare in Bengal in the past 14 years. Overall budgetary allocation for healthcare has increased more than fivefold, from Rs 3,926 crore in 2011-12 to Rs 21,938.52 crore in 2025-26.
According to state health department data, the Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) declined to 17 in 2025, from 32 in 2011, which is well below the national average of 25. Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) has reduced from 22 in 2011 to 14 in 2025, according to the health department data. Even the immunisation coverage has risen from 80 per cent to nearly 100 per cent. Institutional deliveries have increased from 68.10 per cent to 99.5 per cent.
There was no Mother and Child Hub in the state when the current government came to power in 2011. The TMC government has set up 17 Mother and Child care hubs across the state. A total of 12 Neonatal Care Units, 21 Paediatric Intensive Care Units, 71 Sick Neonatal Care Units, and 286 Sick Neonatal Stabilisation Units have been established in the past 14 years.
According to the state government data, the ‘Sishu Saathi’ initiative has benefitted over 32,000 children with serious ailments, including congenital heart disease, clubfoot, cleft lip, and more. “Under the visionary leadership of the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, our Maa-Mati-Manush Sarkar has transformed child healthcare in Bengal over the past 14 years. The state has achieved remarkable progress across multiple parameters, reflecting enhanced maternal and neonatal care, robust public health measures, and comprehensive support for children’s well-being,” TMC said on social media. The Bengal government took up a comprehensive scheme for the upgradation of maternal, newborn, and pediatric services at tertiary and secondary healthcare facilities across the state with an aim to provide better treatment to expectant mothers and infants. The Bengal government had also laid great stress on infrastructure building in various health care facilities run by the state health department at the districts.
The main purpose of the scheme was to reduce the infant and maternal mortality rate. Both the infant and maternal mortality rates in the districts have gone down. Huge investments were made for the upgradation of various health units in the villages to ensure better maternal and newborn health care. Maternal and child health care have been given top priority in the health care action plan charted by the state health department.