| Abstract: | Maternal health remains a key focus in India’s public health efforts, and Tamil Nadu stands out for its use of digital governance to improve outcomes for mothers and infants. This study takes a qualitative look at the Pregnancy and Infant Cohort Monitoring and Evaluation (PICME) scheme, a state digital registry that follows women from pregnancy registration through childbirth and infant immunisation. Using a constructivist qualitative approach, the research applies a six-phase thematic analysis to secondary sources like government policy documents, national health surveys, and peer-reviewed articles. The findings show that PICME’s unique Reproductive and Child Health ID supports maintaining continuity of care and brings together services such as nutrition support, emergency referrals, and ambulance networks. This coordination is linked to better maternal and infant health outcomes compared to national averages. However, the study also finds continuing issues, including digital illiteracy, poor internet access, and restrictions on women’s mobility, which are mostly addressed by Accredited Social Health Activists and Village Health Nurses. The research also points out important gaps in PICME, such as the lack of mental health screening for mothers and constrained access for patients to their own health data. Overall, while digital governance has improved administrative supervision and responsibility, it needs to include psychosocial care better and focus more on patients’ needs to become a truly comprehensive maternal healthcare model. These findings deliver lessons for wider digital health policy. |
