Singapore docs to train state health pros to curb infant, maternal mortality rat

Best 40 will be picked by the state to train the remaining staff

In an bid to bring down the maternal and infant mortality rate, healthcare professionals in the state would be trained by practitioners from Singapore. The State Institute of Health and Family Welfare will collaborate with the Singapore International Foundation and Singapore Health Services for the project - ‘Enhancing Maternal and Child Health Services Programme’.  Around 200 people will be trained in the next three years.

Doctors  and nurses from high risk zones like Bidar, Raichur and Kalaburagi would be trained in batches of 50.

Speaking on the sidelines of the launch of the project on Monday, prof Tan Hak Koon, head and senior consultant, department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology said doctors from Singapore will train local doctors and para-medical staff in obstetric emergencies, neonatal resuscitation and also on acting instantly in emergencies like postpartum bleeding or postpartum haemorrhage (loss of blood on child birth) or pre-eclampsia (complication of high blood pressure in pregnancy) and epilepsy.

Addressing a press conference, Principal Secretary for health and family welfare, Dr Shalini Rajaneesh pointed that Singapore has a very low infant and maternal mortality rate. According to statistics provided by authorities from Singapore, the infant mortality rate is as less as 1.7 per thousand and maternal mortality is one per hundred thousand.

“Singapore also has great infrastructure. We might not be able to replicate the same here. However, we can ensure that the skills are incorporated in professionals here as well. We should bring out infant and maternal mortality rates to single digits,” she added.

Of the 200 who would undergo training, 40 who have best picked up the skills would be deployed by the state to train the remaining staff. Shalini said she would also consider sending them to Singapore for hands-on experience if the finance department approves it.

Maternal mortality in Karnataka is 128 per one lakh whereas infant mortality is 31 per thousand as against 5 and 1.7 respectively in Singapore.