The Ihangane Project mobilizes community innovation in clinical care, community health, health systems management and social enterprise to create effective and resilient front line health systems that connect national protocols to local realities.
Reproductive and Child Health Centers
Reproductive and Child Health Centers
Not-for-profit
Year launched: 1997Existing or expanding (post-pilot)
Approach
Target geography
Target Population
Target income level
- Bottom 20%
Health focus
- Family planning and reproductive health
- Maternal, newborn and child health
- Primary care
Summary
This is a nurse-practitioner based model operating in a remote rural area of India to provide primary and emergency obstetric care services to pregnant women, new mothers and infants.Program goals
The RCH aims: To provide maternal and neonatal health services to disadvantaged sections of society; To train nurse-midwives and enable them to provide safe maternal and neonatal health services in the absence of a doctor.
Key program components
Midwives, operating at 4 community-based, well equipped primary health care clinics, provide 24/7 services to a population of over 50,000. They independently detect and manage obstetric complications and decide when to refer cases to a higher level, better equipped facility.
At each centre two to three nurse-midwives provide outpatient services six days a week and emergency services around the clock. A gynaecologist visits each centre twice a week and a paediatrician visits once a week. The organization has established contacts with referral centers to ensure that referred clients receive good quality services quickly. The referral system includes counseling, transport arrangements, accompanying women, help with admission and support during inpatient care - all of this leading to higher referral compliance rates. The clinics also provide advice related to contraceptive choices and stock contraceptive supplies. Services provided at health centres:
24/7 delivery services and management/referral for maternal-newborn complications
IMNCI management for children and primary health care by nurse-midwives
Safe abortion services (first trimester)
Reversible methods of contraception
Gynaecological services, including infertility management
Laboratory facilities to do basic investigations
Scale
Financials
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