Pune: Symbiosis Launches ‘Mahervashin’ Initiative To Reimagine Maternity Care
Lavale, 12th September 2026: Symbiosis University Hospital & Research Centre (SUHRC), in association with Symbiosis Medical College for Women (SMCW), has launched ‘Mahervashin – Reimagining Maternity Care’, an initiative aimed at making childbirth and maternity care more compassionate, respectful and supportive for women.
The initiative was launched with the release of an information booklet for expectant mothers by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Sunetra Ajit Pawar, in the presence of MLA Shankar Mandekar, Symbiosis International University (SIU) Chancellor Dr Vidya Yeravdekar, Vice Chancellor Dr R Raman, Provost of the Faculty of Medical & Health Sciences Dr Rajiv Yeravdekar and other dignitaries. The programme was presided over by Symbiosis Founder and President Prof Dr S B Mujumdar.
Speaking at the event, Pawar said safe motherhood should be viewed not only as a healthcare concern but also as a social responsibility. She appreciated the initiative for combining medical care with compassion, dignity and emotional support.
“A healthy mother means a healthy family, and a healthy family means a capable Maharashtra,” Pawar said, highlighting the importance of maternal and child health for families and society.
She also stressed the need to improve access to maternal healthcare, particularly in rural areas, and acknowledged the role of grassroots healthcare workers in taking healthcare initiatives closer to women and families.
The Mahervashin initiative, conceptualised by Dr Rajiv Yeravdekar, seeks to create a hospital environment where expectant mothers are treated not merely as patients but as women returning to their maternal home.
The initiative is based on four key areas:
Maher Experience: Emotional support, compassionate nursing care and an option for a birth companion.
Maher Nutrition: Dietitian-planned nutritious meals incorporating clinical and traditional maternal nutritional needs.
Maher Culture: Respect for cultural practices, including provisions for traditions such as Dohale Jevan in a safe hospital setting.
Maher Child & Postpartum Care: Lactation counselling, newborn care, postpartum recovery support, depression screening and a special Maher Kit at discharge.
The programme is intended to complement government maternal healthcare schemes, including the Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) and Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY).
As part of the initiative, grassroots ASHA workers will be trained as ‘Maher-Doots’ to spread awareness and provide support related to compassionate maternity care in their communities.
The initiative will also be integrated with the NMC Family Adoption Programme, with the stated aim of encouraging empathy and patient-centred care among medical students.
The event also recognised healthcare professionals and mothers who have been associated with maternal healthcare services.
Through Mahervashin, SUHRC and SMCW aim to broaden the focus of maternity care beyond clinical treatment by providing expectant mothers with emotional support, dignity and a supportive hospital environment.
