Koraput, a region rich in culture, community, and resiliency, is tucked away in the mist-covered hills of southern Odisha. The district has a strong connection to the land and many generations of tradition because the majority of its residents are indigenous tribes. However, Koraput has significant obstacles in addition to its strength and beauty, particularly with regard to maternal health.

Across remote villages, pregnancy often unfolds in silence and uncertainty. Conditions like preeclampsia, gestational complications, stillbirths, and birth defects continue to affect many women and infants in the region. Long travel distances, limited diagnostic services, and delayed identification of health risks place thousands of tribal mothers at heightened vulnerability.

Still, the story of Koraput is not one of struggle alone—it is a story of perseverance, compassion, and a collective commitment to build a healthier future.

A Government Working to Leave No Mother Behind

The Koraput District Administration, supported by targeted funding and a deep understanding of local challenges, has been working relentlessly to address the rising concerns around high-risk pregnancies. Recognizing that early detection is the cornerstone of preventing maternal and infant complications, the government has taken several forward-thinking steps to strengthen healthcare delivery across the district.

Key initiatives include:

• Upgrading healthcare infrastructure at district hospitals and PHCs, including better-equipped labour rooms and referral facilities.
• Strengthening NICU facilities to provide specialized care for vulnerable and high-risk newborns.
• Deploying more ASHA and ANM workers, ensuring early registration, regular follow-ups, and timely referrals for pregnant women.
• Setting up maternity waiting homes, helping expectant mothers stay closer to healthcare facilities during the final stages of pregnancy.
• Expanding point-of-care diagnostics to enable early detection of conditions such as preeclampsia, anemia, and kidney-related complications.
• Extending mobile health services to reach tribal and hard-to-access communities, ensuring distance is never a barrier to care.

Together, these initiatives have played a significant role in creating a safer environment for mothers and infants. They reflect a forward-looking vision—bringing innovative, efficient, and accessible healthcare to the doorstep of even the most remote communities.

A New Chapter of Collaboration: Prantae’s Role in Supporting Maternal Health

As part of its Safe Motherhood (Janmashree) initiative, the Koraput District Administration has taken a proactive step toward strengthening early diagnosis of high-risk pregnancies by procuring advanced point-of-care diagnostic solutions that can function effectively in remote and tribal settings. Recognizing the critical role of early detection of preeclampsia and pregnancy-related kidney complications, the district administration identified uACR testing as a valuable screening tool and initiated a pilot implementation using Proflo-U.

Under this government-led initiative, three units of the Proflo-U device have been deployed at key public healthcare facilities to support frontline maternal care services:

• The District Headquarters Hospital (DHH), Jeypore, and
  
• The Primary Health Centre (PHC), Kotia, serves one of Koraput’s most remote and tribal-dominated regions.

To complement the deployment of the devices, the administration has also procured approximately 7,000 uACR test kits, enabling widespread screening for microalbuminuria, an early indicator of kidney dysfunction and preeclampsia risk during pregnancy.

Proflo-U’s ability to deliver rapid, lab-grade uACR results within minutes aligns closely with the district’s goal of enabling early clinical decision-making at the point of care. For healthcare workers, this reduces delays in diagnosis and referral; for expectant mothers, it offers early awareness, timely intervention, and improved chances of safer pregnancy outcomes.

This initiative reflects the government’s broader commitment to leveraging appropriate diagnostic innovations to close maternal healthcare gaps, particularly in regions where access, terrain, and infrastructure have historically posed challenges.

A Shared Vision of Health, Hope, and Equity

The trust of the Koraput District Administration in Prantae Solutions reflects a shared commitment to improving maternal health through early diagnosis and accessible innovation. By procuring and deploying Proflo-U at key public healthcare facilities, the administration has taken a decisive step toward strengthening care for high-risk pregnancies in some of Odisha’s most underserved regions.

The deployment of Proflo-U in Jeypore and Kotia supports frontline healthcare workers with timely, reliable diagnostics and offers expectant mothers greater clarity and confidence during pregnancy. This partnership marks the beginning of a sustained effort to integrate practical technology into public health systems—moving Koraput steadily toward a safer, healthier future for its women and families.