Mudita Gosain1, Akhil D Goel1, Pradeep Kharya2, Ramesh Agarwal3, Ritvik Amarchand1, Sanjay K Rai1, Suresh Kapoor4, Vinod K Paul5, Anand Krishnan1. 1. Centre for Community Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India. 2. Department of Community Medicine, Government Medical College, Kannauj, Uttar Pradesh 209732, India. 3. Division of Neonatology, Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India. 4. Centre for Chronic Disease Control, Gurugram, Haryana 122002, India. 5. Department of Pediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India.
Abstract
Background: Planning a comprehensive program addressing neonatal mortality will require a detailed situational analysis of available neonatal-specific health infrastructure. Methods: We identified facilities providing essential and sick neonatal care (ENC, SNC) by a snowballing technique in Ballabgarh Block. These were assessed for infrastructure, human resource and equipment along with self-rated competency of the staff and compared with facility-based or population-based norms. Results: A total of 35 facilities providing ENC and 10 facilities for SNC were identified. ENC services were largely in the public-sector domain (68.5% of births) and were well distributed in the block. SNC burden was largely being borne by the private sector (66% of admissions), which was urban-based. The private sector and nurses reported lower competency especially for SNC. Only 53.9% of government facilities and 17.5% of private facilities had a fully equipped newborn care corner. Conclusions: Serious efforts to reduce neonatal mortality would require major capacity strengthening of the health system, including that of the private sector.
Background: Planning a comprehensive program addressing neonatal mortality will require a detailed situational analysis of available neonatal-specific health infrastructure. Methods: We identified facilities providing essential and sick neonatal care (ENC, SNC) by a snowballing technique in Ballabgarh Block. These were assessed for infrastructure, human resource and equipment along with self-rated competency of the staff and compared with facility-based or population-based norms. Results: A total of 35 facilities providing ENC and 10 facilities for SNC were identified. ENC services were largely in the public-sector domain (68.5% of births) and were well distributed in the block. SNC burden was largely being borne by the private sector (66% of admissions), which was urban-based. The private sector and nurses reported lower competency especially for SNC. Only 53.9% of government facilities and 17.5% of private facilities had a fully equipped newborn care corner. Conclusions: Serious efforts to reduce neonatal mortality would require major capacity strengthening of the health system, including that of the private sector.