Multi-pronged strategy to protect health of mother, child

Vijayawada: The state government has been following a multi-pronged strategy to reduce maternal and infant mortality rate across the state, said special chief secretary of medical and health department MT Krishna Babu.

He was addressing the review and consultation workshop on maternal, perinatal, child death surveillance here on Thursday. District medical and health officers and district coordinators of hospital services across the state participated in the workshop.

Speaking on the maternal and infant mortality across the state, Krishna Babu said that multi-pronged strategy was prepared to reduce the mortality rate. The latest statistics revealed that the infant mortality rate has come down considerably from 31 per 1,000 in 2019 to 27 per 1,000 in 2020.

The government had observed an increase in the early neonatal mortality and neonatal mortality and to solve the problem the multi-pronged strategy was being followed by improving intra-natal care and taking care of mothers after delivery.

Efforts are being made to improve infrastructure facilities and setting up of special newborn care units (SNCUs) with necessary medicine and allocation of more budgets for consumables. He expressed satisfaction over the results which showed fall in the infant mortality.

The special chief secretary said that more number of SNCUs with 5 to 23 beds were set up in the tribal and other vulnerable areas. “Newborn stabilisation units would be strengthened by setting up referral links.”

He said that 1,364 new born care corners (NBCCs) were set up at the delivery points to provide better care to the new born babies. For the year 2024-25, 37 NBCCs were sanctioned. Twelve SNCUs and five neonatal care units were established at the teaching hospitals.

The senior IAS officer said that 1,055 beds are available across the state to provide care to the new born.

Commissioner of health and family welfare Dr S Venkateswar, public health and family welfare commissioner Dr Padmavathi, DME Academic Dean Dr G Raghunandan, UNICEF specialist Dr Sridhar, State nodal officers, experts from UNICEF, AIIMS-Mangalagiri, Fernandez Foundation and Noor Health were also present. present.