Improving access to MCH care facilities within existing health infrastructure
Kumar, V.; Singhi, S.; Kumar, R.; Raina, N.
Indian Pediatrics 25(6): 515-522
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0019-6061 PMID: 3235189 Document Number: 317712
To improve Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Services within existing health infrastructure, an operational project was initiated in district Ambala, Haryana, in North India; in February, 1985. The main Project strategies are training of primary health care (PHC) workers, logistics improvement and monitoring. This paper is a report of first year of the project operation and deals with the changes inavailability of MCH care facilities. 'Before' and 'after' surveys were undertaken in a sample of 71 and 74 villages, respectively, of the three blocks of the intervention area (Population 370,000). Sixty two villages from two adjacent blocks (population 250,000) were also surveyed at the same time as the 'after' survey; these served as concurrent controls. The information was collected from the village leaders and health workers by trained field workers. The villages in intervention area registered a substantial improvement in availability of oral rehydration salt (from 0 to 67.5%), cotrimoxazole for treatment of acute respiratory infection (from 0 to 54%), contraceptives (from 34 to 65%), disposable safe birth kit (from 0 to 54%), scales for weighing (from 24 to 53%) and health education material (from 0 to 46%) at the end of first year of the project operation. Although the developmental characteristics of the villages included in the 'after' survey, and in the 'concurrent control' did not differ significantly, there was a two to four fold increase in the MCH facilities, in the intervention area. A substantial improvement in MCH care facilities can be achieved in a short period of time even within the constraints of existing health infrastructure through focussed efforts toward training and logistics improvement.