As India battles maternal and neonatal mortality and doctors reluctance to work in remote areas remains an unsurmountable barrier, the famous “3 Idiots” scene where a doctor instructs novices to deliver a baby over a computer aided by an instruction video, may soon be a reality across the country.
Only, the mobile phone will replace the computer.
Union health ministry on Monday launched a mobile application to help health workers working in peripheral areas manage complicated deliveries.
The Safe Delivery Application is a mHealth tool with clinical instruction films on key obstetric procedures. Trained health workers can look at those films to understand how to tackle complicated deliveries. All common delivery complications have been dealt with in the short films that can be played on health workers’ smart phones. Tailor made for India, the films have already been piloted in some areas and found to deliver satisfactory results.
Explained a health ministry official: “We are doing our best to ensure quality control in labour rooms under the LaQshya programme. However despite our best efforts it is possible that a pregnant woman is forced to deliver without a doctor at hand – may be she does not even manage to reach the nearest health centre. In such circumstances the app will guide health workers through the delivery.” Under LaQshya, labour rooms will be certified for quality. In addition facilities that meet the quality standards will be incentivised. The goal is to reduce preventable maternal and new-born mortality, morbidity and stillbirths.
Speaking at a function on the eve of Universal Health Coverage Day where LaQshya and the Safe Delivery Application were unveiled, health minister J P Nadda said that the government is committed to Universal Health Coverage and as the first step to comprehensive primary care is in the process of converting 1.5 lakh health sub centres to wellness centres. The Government has taken concrete steps to reduce the Out Of Pocket Expenditure (OOPE), he added. Mission Indradhanush, one of the largest global public health initiatives was launched in 2014. In its four phases till date, MI has successfully reached over 25 million children in over 528 districts. “We are also focussed on increasing the basket of vaccines. Since 2014, we have launched Rotavirus vaccine, Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV), and the Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccine, and also the JE vaccine for adults,” Nadda said, adding that under the Pradhan Mantri Dialysis Program 1.43 lakh patients have already availed free services from 1,069 Dialysis Units.
At the function, Nadda also released Operational Guidelines for Obstetric High Dependency Units and Intensive Care Units.
