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Wednesday, Sep 16, 2009
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A new programme for newborn care
Special Correspondent
- Photo Rohit Jain Paras
New VISTAS: Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launching the Navjat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram in Jaipur on Tuesday.
JAIPUR: Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad launched “Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram” to address important interventions of care at birth as a national initiative to reduce neonatal deaths here on Tuesday. The nation-wide programme will provide basic institutional newborn care and resuscitation to the infants. The interventions covered in the proposed programme include prevention of hypothermia, prevention of infection, early initiation of breast-feeding and basic newborn resuscitation.
Addressing the gathering, Mr. Azad said the objective was to have one person trained in basic newborn care at every delivery, which would help prevent a significant number of newborn deaths and ensure survival of the newborn babies.
Mr. Azad pointed out that 22 lakh children below five years of age die across the country every year as a result of birth asphyxia, sepsis, premature births and hypothermia. Most of these deaths occur within the first few days of birth, he added.
The NSSK will train healthcare providers at the district hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres in the interventions at birth with the application of the latest available scientific methods aimed at significantly reducing the infant mortality ratio.
The Health and Family Welfare Ministry will organise district level trainers’ training programme for 10 States and master trainers’ training programmes in other States and Union Territories. The States will be expected to roll out training for medical officers, nurses and auxiliary nurse midwives on their own.
Mr. Azad affirmed that the proposed new programme would fill a critical existing gap and address the major causes of neonatal mortality. “The NSSK will have two important components of training and infrastructure to address the needs at the grassroots,” he said.
The sick newborn care units with 10 to 12 beds at district hospitals, newborn stabilisation units with four beds at community health centres and “newborn corners” at primary health centres 0are also proposed to be established across the country within the next one year.
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