12-Jul-2019: LaQshya

Government of India has launched “LaQshya” (Labour room Quality improvement Initiative) to improve quality of care in labour room and maternity operation theatres in public health facilities. It’s a multipronged approach focused at Intrapartum and immediate postpartum period.

Aim: To reduce preventable maternal and newborn mortality, morbidity and stillbirths associated with the care around delivery in Labour room and Maternity Operation Theatre and ensure respectful maternity care.

Objectives:

1. To reduce maternal and newborn mortality & morbidity due to hemorrhage, retained placenta, preterm, preeclampsia and eclampsia, obstructed labour, puerperal sepsis, newborn asphyxia, and newborn sepsis, etc.
2. To improve Quality of care during the delivery and immediate post-partum care, stabilization of complications and ensure timely referrals, and enable an effective two-way follow-up system.
3. To enhance satisfaction of beneficiaries visiting the health facilities and provide Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) to all pregnant women attending the public health facilities.

Following types of healthcare facilities have been identified for implementation of LaQshya program

1. Government medical college hospitals.
2. District Hospitals & equivalent health facilities.
3. Designated FRUs and high case load CHCs with over 100 deliveries/month ( 60 in hills and desert areas).

Till date 2427 Public health facilities across country have been identified for implementation of LaQshya Program.

11-Dec-2017: LaQshya program launched to improve quality of maternity care.

The Union Health Minister launched “LaQshya - Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative, a Safe Delivery Mobile Application for health workers who manage normal and complicated deliveries in the peripheral areas, and also released the Operational Guidelines for Obstetric High Dependency Units (HDUs) and Intensive Care Units (ICUs).

Laqshya| Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative: There is enough evidence that supports the fact that improving the quality of care in Labour rooms especially on the day of birth, is central to maternal and neonatal survival. Recognizing this fact, Government of India is launching Laqshya- Labor Room Quality Improvement Initiative. LaQshya is expected to improve the quality of care that is being provided to the pregnant mother in the Labour Room and Maternity Operation Theatres, thereby preventing the undesirable adverse outcomes associated with childbirth. This initiative will be implemented in Government Medical Colleges (MCs) besides District Hospitals (DHs), and high delivery load Sub- District Hospitals (SDHs) and Community Health Centres (CHCs). The initiative plans to conduct quality certification of labour rooms and also incentivize facilities achieving the targets outlined. The goal of this initiative is to reduce preventable maternal and new-born mortality, morbidity and stillbirths associated with the care around delivery in Labour room and Maternity OT and ensure respectful maternity care.

Operational Guidelines for Obstetric High Dependency Units (HDUs) and Intensive Care Units (ICUs): Another important aspect related to maternal mortality is availability of critical care for complicated cases. For this, the Government of India had released Guidelines for setting up of Obstetric High Dependency Units (HDUs) and Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in 2016. The guidelines presented a broad concept of Obstetric HDU and ICU. We are now releasing the Operational Guidelines for Obstetric High Dependency Units (HDUs) and Intensive Care Units (ICUs). These guidelines will complement the already existing National guidelines and help the states and state level policy makers in setting up and operationalising these critical care units, dedicated to the pregnant women and recently delivered mothers, in Medical colleges and District Hospitals.

Safe Delivery Application: The Safe Delivery Application is a mHealth tool that can be used for health workers who manage normal and complicated deliveries in the peripheral areas. The application has Clinical Instruction films on key obstetric procedures which can help the health workers translate their learnt skills into practice. It can play a pivotal role in training, post training reinforcement, mentoring and demonstration. This application has been tailored as per the Indian context. It has also been field tested in few districts and has been found to be useful for health workers who provide maternity care.

The goal of achieving universal health coverage (UHC) has become the major focus of health system reform around the world. UHC is about ensuring that everyone has access to the health care they need without suffering financial hardship. It has been called “the single most powerful concept that public health has to offer”. In December 2012, the United Nations passed a landmark resolution endorsing universal health coverage. In September 2015, the achievement of UHC was enshrined in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a key target to be reached by 2030. UHC Day, first commemorated on 12 December 2014, marks the anniversary of the landmark UN resolution.