Government launches new initiatives for Universal Health Coverage

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched ‘LaQshya’ Initiative and mHealth: Safe Delivery Application on the occasion of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) Day. Moreover, Operational Guidelines for Obstetric High Dependency Units and Intensive Care Units were also released.
UHC Day is observed every year on 12 December to commemorate first unanimous United Nations resolution calling for countries to provide affordable, quality health care to every person, everywhere. UHC aims at ensuring equitable access for all to affordable, accountable, appropriate health services of assured quality.

Laqshya- A Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative

It is safe delivery mobile application for health workers who manage normal and complicated deliveries in the peripheral area. It objective is to improve quality of care provided to pregnant mother in Labour Room and Maternity Operation Theatres (OTs), thereby preventing undesirable adverse outcomes associated with childbirth.
It aims to reduce preventable maternal and new-born mortality, morbidity and stillbirths associated with care around delivery in Labour room and Maternity OTs. It will be implemented in government Medical Colleges (MCs), District Hospitals (DHs), high delivery load Sub- District Hospitals (SDHs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs). It plans to conduct quality certification of labour rooms and provide facilities to achieve outlined targets.

mHealth: Safe Delivery Application

It was launched for health workers who manage normal and complicated deliveries in peripheral areas. The app has Clinical Instruction films on key obstetric procedures to help health workers translate their learnt skills into actual practice. It has been field tested in few districts and found to be useful for health workers providing maternity care.

Operational Guidelines for Obstetric High Dependency Units and Intensive Care Units

These guidelines will complement already existing national guidelines. It will also help states and state level policy makers in setting up and operationalising critical care units dedicated to pregnant women.

Month: Current Affairs - December, 2017