Software to review maternal deaths to be launched in 4 dists

Vikas Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 11

The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will implement maternal death review (MDR) software as a pilot project in Srinagar, Kulgam, Jammu and Ramban districts. The move is a significant initiative to support the state in reporting maternal deaths for analysis and planning to improve maternal health outcomes.

Sources said initially, the software would be rolled out on a pilot basis in selected districts where maternal deaths are high and processes for reporting are well established and later, the state may introduce the project to other districts.

They added that the number of maternal deaths reported in these districts was higher than other districts of the state.

Sources said there would be training sessions on the software for officials concerned at block and district levels.

During the first phase of the training, a pool of master trainers at the divisional level will be created by the core trainers from the AVNI. During the second phase, these trainings will be conducted at the district level by the master trainers with the support of the AVNI.

The maternal death review strategy has been implemented in the state since 2010-11 and is providing information on various factors responsible for maternal deaths at the community level as well as the facility level.

The MDR is being conducted in all districts of the state, both at the facility level and the community level. At present, accredited private sector facilities have not been included in the MDR of the state and is likely to be taken up later.

Under the MDR strategy for the state, a state nodal officer and district nodal officers have been designated. Apart from this, facility-based MDR nodal officers have also been designated. Further, District Maternal Death Review Committees have been constituted and are responsible for the review of all maternal and infant deaths.

Under the programme, all the district nodal officers, including FBMDR nodal officers, have been sensitised about the programme, guidelines and necessary formats required for the review of the MDR. Now, MDR reports are being received from all the 22 districts of the state.