Dr. Meghna Sharma speaks to clients about family planning services.
Agra, a TCI-graduated city in Uttar Pradesh, has emerged as a leader in healthcare advancements, thanks in large part to the dedicated work of its TCI-trained master coaches. Among them, Dr. Meghna Sharma stands out as a true visionary leader. As the Medical Officer in Charge of the Jeoni Mandi Urban Primary Health Center (UPHC) and a TCI Master Coach, her relentless commitment has transformed the facility into a model UPHC, garnering both national and international recognition.
Dr. Meghna shares her secret to success with a smile:
My team is my strength. I believe in TCI’s coaching and mentoring model and regularly coach them. I have also extended this coaching beyond my UPHC. I attend Mahila Aarogya Samiti (MAS) meetings to build their capacities, conduct field visits to understand ground realities and provide support where needed. During urban health and nutrition day sessions, I empower Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and counsel participating couples to motivate them to adopt a family planning method of their choice.”
Before Antral Diwas (fixed day static services), Dr. Meghna organized facility-level meetings to ensure no client faced any issues when seeking family planning services. She explained her approach:
We utilize the due list prepared by Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs) to make all necessary arrangements, ensuring high service satisfaction levels among beneficiaries who, in turn, encourage their peers to avail services from our UPHC.”
Handmade posters placed at Jeoni Mandi UPHC.
To reach more urban poor with quality counseling and services, Dr. Meghna regularly organizes camps involving private healthcare providers, counseling pregnant women on antenatal care and family planning options by using the basket of choice job aid. Reflecting on her efforts to raise health awareness, she shared:
People often ignore their health, especially women. To raise awareness, my UPHC staff and I, along with other stakeholders, have developed easy-to-understand pictorial posters on combating anemia and nutrition during pregnancy. To further promote healthy practices from a young age, I ensure that adolescent girls and boys participate in facility-based Adolescent Health Days. During these events, they receive comprehensive screening and counseling services covering nutrition, sexual and reproductive health, mental health, and prevention of non-communicable diseases. In collaboration with ASHAs, I also enlist the support of MAS members, local influencers, and self-help groups to encourage boys and girls to attend the Adolescent Health Days, which are organized on the 8th of every month.”
Dr. Meghna’s dedication and innovative approach have made her an inspiration to many, both in Agra and beyond.
