Mother child health is the highest priority in poverty health care. On the one hand it is the most cost effective. On the other hand it has the
largest teaching component and is the most effective in promoting health, nutrition, hygiene and family planning awareness.
Aims of Mother Child Care: 1. To give teaching on mother child care and the above topics to mothers, families and neighborhood groups. 2. To provide preventive interventions at appropriate stages of pregnancy, delivery and childhood. 3. To detect danger signs and so prevent problems of pregnancy, delivery, post-partum and early childhood. 4. To provide primary treatment for common conditions and hospital referral when necessary.
The actions are all low-cost and readily performed by primary health workers but require ongoing training organization and supervision, with consultatory back-up and a referral system (particularly for pre-eclampsia/eclampisia, complicated deliveries severe malnutrition and serious infections.) Unfortunately with only one doctor the KHCP is unable to provide adequate medical supervision and consultatory support and without properly motivated obstetric support facilities in a very wide area complicated deliveries can be disastrous. (Recently a woman in obstructed labour ran into disaster from over delayed caesarian section at the regional medical college hospital. Injuries and complication resulted in constant drainage of urine and faeces from the vagina and paralysis of both legs.)
The Mother-child village health care programme now has its own separate small office. Village surveys have been done and family cards prepared for homes in nearby villages.
The programme is still needing to work out the difficulties of coordinating time-consuming individualized care with programme efficiency and necessary freedom of initiative with restrictions of administration and partnership in the overall project. Strong leadership is needed, particularly for problem solving and proper organization of village worker supervision.
Mother-Child Statistics for 2007
Staff: Total 18 (Village workers 12, Supervisors 6) Under-4 Child Care: 1052 children were under health and growth supervision in December 2007 (9% decrease on 2006 due to giving parts of Thanarbaid and Dhorati villages to Thanarbaid Clinic.) Weight Chart survey at year’s end showed nutrition problems in 3% (i.e. failure to gain weight over three consecutive months, drop of 0.8 Kg not yet regained, or below 3rd centile on weight chart). Immunization: Staff give teaching and support for the government’s EPI programme. Antenatal Care: 589 mothers (18% more than 2006) were given antenatal care in 2007. 65% were village care mothers (9% more than last year) and 35% were Shulakuri Clinic mothers (37% more than last year due to the revival of the Shulakuri Clinic). 9% of antenatal care mothers had staff-assisted deliveries. Delivery Care: 61 deliveries were staff assisted (9% less than last year due to increased activity of trained village birth attendants). Our staff are becoming more skilled. Family Planning: VHP staff motivate for family planning. The work is done by government although 55 couples received oral contraceptives from VHP staff.
Religio-ethnic Breakdown:
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