On a mission from Singapore: To cut infant mortality

Bengaluru: From Singapore with love. A team of expert healthcare professionals from the city-state have been on a mission to reduce infant and maternal mortality and morbidity rates in the state.

Launched in August 2016 as a three-year programme by the Singapore International Foundation (SIF), in partnership with Singapore Health Services (SingHealth) and Karnataka Health Department, it aims to reduce mortality and morbidity rates and create sustainable healthcare improvements for the community.

Experts from Singapore have been visiting Karnataka and training healthcare professionals in different districts about better utilisation of resources and managing high-risk pregnancies, obstetric and neonatal emergencies. They are also working on strengthening the systems and processes and enhancing the capacity of healthcare workers in delivering higher quality care for pregnant women and babies.

“A team of specialist volunteers from Singapore General Hospital will carry out a series of workshops to train 200 healthcare professionals from tertiary and secondary care government hospitals in Karnataka. These workshops will equip them with the skillsets and knowledge to identify and address factors contributing to maternal and infant mortality,” said SIF Governor Lian Wee Cheow.

Of the 200 trained Indian healthcare professionals, 40 will be selected as Master Trainers who will then train another 200 medical professionals within the next three years.

“We expect an estimated 1,00,000 pregnant women and their newborn babies in Karnataka to benefit from this enhanced care,” Mr Cheow said.

A multi-disciplinary team from Singapore, comprising obstetricians, neonatologists, midwives and senior nurses, will carry out a series of workshops, participate in a symposium in the state and facilitate a study visit to Singapore. Specialists from Singapore will also conduct management discussions in their respective fields for selected personnel from the Health and Family Welfare Department and trainee hospitals in conjunction with the training workshops.

Mr Cheow said, “The SIF brings world communities together to promote greater international understanding and development. I’m delighted that we could facilitate such a meaningful collaboration between healthcare professionals of Singapore and India to raise standards of maternal and child health services in Karnataka.”

He said the Singapore team had also conducted a feasibility study before taking up the project. “Based on this study conducted in November 2014, many existing positive support systems and elements were observed and some areas of possible upgrading of knowledge and clinical skills in Karnataka’s tertiary and secondary care government hospitals were identified," he said.

“This is a pilot project that seeks to address gaps in healthcare practices to tackle high rates of maternal and infant mortality in Bengaluru city and seeks to create sustainable healthcare improvements for the community,” he said.