International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

An emphasis was placed on neonatal and maternal mortality in India at the 13th annual convention of UP Chapter of National Neonatology Forum (NNF).

At the event, it was brought to the attention of those attending that maternal mortality stood at 450 per 1,000 live births and the neonatal mortality rate was 39 per 1,000 live births, Times of India reported.

Two-thirds of the maternal deaths occurred in the areas of Uttar Pardesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Jharkhand, Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Rajasthan and Assam.

NNF president Sunil Taneja said: "The model task for NNF includes provision for round-the-clock ambulance service to transport high-risk mothers and sick newborn from rural areas to city hospitals safely and to provide medical insurance to the poor by Central/state-sponsored schemes."

He also revealed that private sector hospitals would be taken into account by provision of subsidies to hospitals in the form of taxation benefits, facility of ambulance with health care personnel and involvement of at least two private hospitals and medical college in the project.

Last year's neonatology forum included workshops on areas such as neonatal x-rays, neonatal electrocardiographs and umbilical catheterization.