CHENNIA:- Minister of State for Health, Mr. Shabir Ahmad Khan has said that Jammu and Kashmir Government was going to take some new initiatives during next financial year to further reduce the infant and neonatal mortality rate in the State. He said in this regard the government has sought assistance from United Nations Operations (UNOP) and Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI), who would work in collaboration with the State Health Department in certain interventions towards reducing new born and infant mortality in the State.
The Health Minister said this on the second day of the ongoing 3 day National level Health Conference on Survival of child and Development at Chennai. He was speaking on todays sub- topic Mother and Child health care.
The Health Minister said that UNOPS and NIPI would work on two broad sets of interventions. He said a new set of proven district based interventions would be introduced to maximize impact on Neonatal Mortality reduction which will include provision of Maternal new-born aide (Yashodha) in the hospitals, SNCU-plus for care and follow up of new-born after discharge from SNCU .
He said technical support for strengthening already initiated new-born and child health interventions would also be provided which include Home Based New-born care, establishment of Sick New-born Care Unit, Acceleration of Routine Immunization and Improvement of District Vaccine store in the State .
The Minister said that the State government proposes to establish 83 Infant and Young Child Feeding Practice (IYCFP) counseling centers in high case load facilities at 22 District Hospitals, 2 Medical Colleges, 53 CHCs & 6 PHCs. He said these counseling centers would provide counseling on IYCF, growth monitoring, provision of Vitamin A and IFA supplements for children older than 6 months.
The Minister said that Facility Based New-Born Care Units (FBNC) has significant potential for improving new-born survival in State of J&K. He said under this programme 10 Special Newbern Care Units (SNCUs) have been setup at District Hospitals (DHs), 72 new-born Stabilization Units (NBSUs) at Community Health Centers (CHCs) and 273 Newborn Care Corners (NBCCs) at the delivery points in the State. He said during the next fiscal 12 more SNCUs would be established in remaining districts of the State and added that existing SNCUs, NBSUs and NBBCs would be strengthened by way of providing funds for drugs, consumables and maintenance of equipments.
The Minister said that Facility Based new-born Care Training has been initiated for the first time in the State for capacity building of Staff of SNCUs. He said that a total of 96 doctors & Staff Nurses are being trained during current financial year, while 58 Doctors / Staff Nurses (28 doctors and 30 Staff nurses) have been trained by experts from National Collaborative Centre for FBNC, New Delhi this year.
Shabir said Under Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) free entitlements are provided to the sick new-born (0-30 days after birth) like Free and zero expense treatment, free drugs and consumables, free diagnostics, free provision of blood, free transport from home to health institution, between health institutions in case of referrals and drop back home, 18355 sick neonates have been benefitted under this scheme.
The Minister said the Infant Death Review has been started, both at community level and facility level, in all districts of the State with a view to get an insight into the cause of infant deaths and the possible solutions to check the problem.
The minister said to ensure that the children receive full immunization as per the defined schedule and no child is left without immunization, Mother & Child Tracking System has been started which helps in tracking and monitoring the delivery of scheduled services to the children in the State.
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