AIIMS to protect infants of Melghat from Nagpur

Nagpur: National Infant Protection Day is observed annually on November 7 to spread awareness about the measures to be taken to save the lives of infants and provide sufficient protection and care.
Recently, AIIMS Nagpur has decided to take over a neonatal care unit in Dharni, a census town in the tribal Melghat region of Vidarbha. The proposal is now awaiting final nod from the public health department. Here are some exclusive details of the pilot project which has the potential to bring a major change in the infant protection practices of tribal India.
“Just a week ago, our team of experts visited a special newborn care unit (SNCU) at Dharni village in Amravati district. We conducted a gap analysis report of this SNCU with the help of an NGO — PATH,” said Dr Manish Shrigiriwar, medical superintendent of AIIMS Nagpur.
“There are many challenges and deficits which need to be addressed, some urgently and some over a period of time. We have an action plan for it. AIIMS Nagpur is looking forward to participating in a constructive way to uplift the services in this SNCU with the ultimate goal to improve neonatal outcomes for this remote health centre,” Dr Shrigiriwar added.
AIIMS Nagpur will be providing technical and clinical knowledge support in the ongoing process of improving SNCU outcomes at Dharni. Apart from this, AIIMS will provide telemedicine support to the medical and nursing staff for day-to-day matters. They are also willing to provide hands-on training for the medical and nursing staff of this centre — in the neonatal intensive care at AIIMS Nagpur. AIIMS doctors will ensure regular on-field visits to assess and reassess the effective change in SNCU practices and outcomes.
According to AIIMS director and CEO Major General Dr Vibha Dutta (SM), said, “Providing the benefit of world-class health facilities to the people who need them the most is one of the prime goals of bringing the institution to Nagpur.”
“In Melghat, newborns need advanced care and this outreach initiative will definitely benefit them,” she said. Currently, AIIMS Nagpur has been catering to patients from across central India. The daily OPD has crossed 2,000-mark in September this year. Outreach initiatives are under way at several rural PHCs in Nagpur district.
PATH will provide logistical and technical support, infrastructure, and maintenance to establish and run the telemedicine services smoothly in this SNCU. PATH will provide financial support for training of the medical and nursing staff. It will arrange for the field visits and maintain record for the effectiveness of the change in practices.
BRINGING ABOUT CHANGE WHERE IT’S NEEDED THE MOST
Sub-district hospital at Dharni is located 144km away from Amravati surrounded by hills and forests
Dharni is known for high maternal mortality rate and infant mortality rate (IMR) in Maharashtra
Despite having SNCU at Dharni, it has the highest IMR in Maharashtra
Tele-SNCU can be a good model to be implemented and can be scaled up
AIIMS Nagpur will provide technical and clinical knowledge support
Will give telemedicine support for day-to-day clinical matters
Provide hands-on training for medical and nursing staff at AIIMS Nagpur
Doctors from AIIMS will pay regular visits to this SNCU