Labour wards in goverment hospitals to be upgraded

Being the only State that has a 68 per cent delivery rate in government sector, officials said hospitals here are equipped with adequate facilities. “However, this programme aims at improving the quality of care in the labour room and maternity operation theatres and obstetrics intensive care units and high dependency units,” said a health official.

Facilities in 32 district headquarter hospitals and 23 medical college hospitals, besides well-performing community health centres will be upgraded.

“The focus initially will be on the aspirational districts Ramanathapuram and Virudhunagar. They have been selected among 113 other districts in the country based on parameters like education, health and socio-economic status,” the official said. While hospitals in other districts have time until next year, work is already under way in the two aspirational districts. The work in these districts, under the scheme, must be completed by August 15.

Explaining the process, Health secretary J Radhakrishnan said a locally formed team will first conduct a standard checklist, corrections and internal gap analysis of the hospital. A peer assessment will then be done by a team of obstetricians and gynaecologists, followed by a state-level quality assessment.

“If they cross 70 per cent in all the parameters, they will be considered eligible for an assessment by the national team. If they qualify in that as well, they will be given a prize money of Rs three lakh for the labour component and Rs three lakh for the operation theatre component,” he said.

Stating that the upgradation of facilities will ensure that there is no sepsis and deviation of the protocols in managing high-risk mothers, Radhakrishan said, “This will reducie the infant mortality and maternal mortality rates in the State, which is already better than other States.”