Coordinated maternity service

ABSTRACT

Maternal and perinatal mortality and morbidity is high in Pakistan as well as well as throughout the developing world. Inspite of changes and improvements in the health care over the years, these rates consistently remain high. Various types of workers and centres of different cadres are doing perinatal care without any standardization and supervision. An assessment of perinatal care in a tehsil of District Sialkot was done to evaluate the service for the purpose of standardization. It was proposed to coordinate the maternity care provided by different cadres at different centres under the supervision of Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. Pilot project was successfully done in the division, where all the centres were coordinated. As a result of these experiences a scheme is presented in which all the medical units government as well as private are incorporated. The services of all the cadres are recognised according to their training and abilities. Lower cadres are linked to the higher cadres for advise and primary, secondary and tertiary units are linked with each other and the centres of excellence. Importance of basic facilities as well as the modern technology is appropriately stressed. Role of Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology as advisor and assessor In the capacity of Director is stressed upon. It has been realized that the existing staff in the domicilliary and institutional maternity care may be sufficient to bring the improvements if they are coordinated. Role of social and education departments, local representatives and the peripheral health organization is appropriately placed. It is hoped that institution of this scheme based on the self reliance will raise the standard of maternity and perinatal care to the higher levels of efficiency