Health officers to ensure adequate facilities for antenatal mothers proposed to undergo birth planning across TN
District Health Officers have been instructed to assess and re-assess the pregnant women periodically.
Representative Image (Photo: Unicef)
CHENNAI: The Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine has instructed the District Health Officers to assess antenatal mothers who are proposed to undergo birth planning across the State.
They are also asked to ensure that necessary facilities are available for delivering high risk mothers at primary level and also for handling of emerging complications during the Antenatal, Intranatal and postnatal period.
A circular from the Directorate stated that Birth Planning for Pregnant Mothers plays crucial role in ensuring safe delivery and District Health Officers are informed that there are a total number of 88,527 mothers having expected date of delivery in October 2024, while birth planning is proposed for 11,468 for them as per their initial antenatal visit to the health facility.
District Health Officers have been instructed to assess and re-assess the pregnant women periodically.
If the PHC team identifies the high risk mother, they should refer to other higher centres in advance and should not wait for the expected date of delivery so that the mother is accustomed to the new area so as to be mentally ready for the delivery.
They should also ensure that block wise mapping of all antenatal mothers should be done physically on the block, district and health unit district map with nearby higher centres for referral.
In case of an emergency, they should ensure whether necessary facilities for delivery and if emergency complications can be handled during the antenatal, intranatal and postnatal period.
If the facilities are not adequate at PHC to handle them, it is requested to give instructions to counsel these mothers well in advance for referral to the higher health centre for safe confinement.