Singapore to Help Curb Infant Mortality Rate in Karnataka

Singapore has shown keen interest in assisting Karnataka to reduce the maternal and infant mortality rates in the state.

Around 1 lakh pregnant women and their newborn babies across Karnataka will be benefiting from a latest initiative extended by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF) along with Singapore's largest healthcare group, the Singapore Health Services Pvt Ltd (SingHealth).

In association with the State Institute of Health and Family Welfare (SIHFW), the Karnataka government, the SIF launched the Enhancing Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services Program.

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‘One lakh pregnant women and their newborn babies across Karnataka will be benefiting from a latest initiative extended by the Singapore.’

Experts in pre-natal, neo-natal and birthing from Singapore are set to implement the latest systems and train the health care personnel as part of the MoU in tier-2 and tier-3 hospitals, in small towns and rural areas to reduce Maternal Mortality(MM) and Infant Mortality(IMO) rates in the state.

Singapore has a maternal mortality rate of 10 per 1000 births and infant mortality of 1.7 per 1,000 berths and is keen to help Karnataka to replicate this success in bringing down MM and IM rates in the state which stands currently at 10 per 1000 births and 1.7 per 1,000 births respectively.

The project is based on findings from a study of services in nine government hospitals last year that revealed some areas of possible upgrading of knowledge and clinical skills.

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Speaking after launching the project in the Vikasa Soudha on Monday, Principal Secretary (Health and Family Welfare) Shalini Rajneesh said reducing MMR (maternal mortality rate) and IMR (infant mortality rate) in Karnataka are a top priority for the department.

Although considerable progress has been made in reducing MMR and IMR, the State now aims to achieve a single-digit rate for IMR (that stands at 28 per 1,000 live births) and below 100 for MMR (that stands at 133 per 1 lakh live births).

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Source-Medindia

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