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About the MAMA ALERT Cards
The MAMA ALERT card set is a family of 26 symptom and risk cards designed for ASHA workers, pregnant women, and their families in Umling Block, Ri-Bhoi District, Meghalaya. Each card describes one danger sign that can appear during pregnancy, what it looks like, what to do immediately, and where to go for care. Every card is bilingual — English + Khasi — and is paired with a QR code that opens a Khasi-language audio guide on a phone.
The cards exist for a simple reason. Most maternal complications in remote villages are not missed because the danger sign is invisible — they are missed because nobody at home knows whether what they are seeing is normal, or because they wait too long before going to a facility. The cards close that recognition gap. A swollen foot is normal. Both feet swelling overnight is not. The card tells the family which is which, in their own language, with a number to call.
This wiki is the reference handbook for those cards. It mirrors the printed cards page-for-page, adds the Khasi audio guides, and links each card to the connected technology features (108 transport, facility pre-alert, dashboard tracking).
At a glance
How the severity levels work
Every card belongs to one of three colour groups. The colour tells the family how urgent the situation is.
| 🟡 YELLOW | 🟠 ORANGE | 🔴 RED |
|---|---|---|
| Watch and plan. Tell the ASHA, drink fluids, rest, and visit the sub-centre or PHC at the next ANC. Symptom is mild now but can grow. | Same-day care. Go to the PHC or CHC the same day. Do not wait until tomorrow. Do not self-medicate. | Emergency now. Call 108 immediately. The woman must reach a CHC or District Hospital as fast as possible. Every minute counts. |
| 12 cards | 6 cards | 8 cards |
Card index
🟡 Yellow Alert — Watch and plan
🟠 Orange Alert — Same-day care
🔴 Red Alert — Call 108 immediately
How to use this wiki
- Pregnant women and families — find the symptom that matches what you see, follow the action steps in Khasi, and if the card is red, call 108 immediately.
- ASHA workers — use the card pages during home visits. Each page tells you the referral pathway and which facility to send the woman to.
- ANM and Medical Officers — when a woman scans a QR card before an ANC visit, you receive a pre-alert. The card page shows what investigation to keep ready.
- DMHO and programme staff — see the 9 connected QR features for transport activation, facility pre-alert, and the village-level usage dashboard.
Project background
The MAMA ALERT cards are part of the MNCH-HCD project run by Tattva Foundation in Umling Block, Ri-Bhoi District, Meghalaya. The cards were developed using a human-centred design process with ASHA workers, ANMs, traditional birth attendants, and pregnant women in the block. The Khasi audio narration and the symptom selection were both validated locally before scale-up. See About the project for more detail.
See also
- Khasi Audio Guides — index of all 26 audio files
- Referral Pathways — how ASHA → Sub-Centre → PHC → CHC → District Hospital works
- Emergency Transport — 108 ambulance and CM-SMS roster
- For ASHA Workers — quick-start guide
- For Families — when to be worried, when to relax