Fwd [chifa] Improving maternal health and Newborn care in India

5 August, 2022

The message below is forwarded from our sister forum CHIFA (child health and rights).

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Dear CHIFA,

I would like to draw your attention to the facilities available for maternal health and Newborn care in the state of Tamilnadu, India, where I reside.

The State government has a scheme here called the Dr. Muthulakshmi Maternity Benefit Scheme. This scheme seeks to reduce the MMR and IMR. For which the expecting mothers have to register themselves before 12 weeks of pregnancy.They provide 12000 to 18000rs benefit to the mothers in installment along with a nutrition kit. In addition to this, they provide free ambulance ride to escort for delivery and then back home.

For the newborn,the village health nurse follows up the newborn for upto 1 year while measuring the growth and development of the child, ensuring that they get the vaccines recommended according to the national immunization schedule and Informing parents the schemes of sick newborns and free facility available for their child if they are poor.

This Scheme is for all mothers who are poor both in urban and rural areas. For urban health their is a urban health nurse for the follow-up. The scheme is compliance based and benefits are for 2 deliveries only.

Government has also taken care of the education part for the health care providers. Their is another Scheme known as "Navjaat Shishu Suraksha karyakram" which aims to train health personnel in basic newborn care and resuscitation. Similarly, there are various training programmes which keeps the health personnel updated and skilled through the government itself .

This has really benefited the mother and the newborn.

How is it in other parts of India? I was wondering what are other facilities available across the world in improving material and child health care.

Warm regards, Prerna M.Singh

CHIFA profile: Prerna M. Singh is an MSc in Nursing at the Christian Medical College, Vellore, India who aims to participate in the preventive, promotive , curative health of children and their families; to help children attain their optimal development; to make children knowledgable about self and significant others; to make their childhood disease free. Email address: mprernasingh AT gmail.com

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Neil Pakenham-Walsh, Global Coordinator HIFA, www.hifa.org neil@hifa.org

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