Scheme to check infant mortality

PATNA: The present rate of neo-natal mortality in India is 47 per 1000 live births. Considering that neo-natal mortality consists two third of the infant mortality and adding to the fact that major fraction of post-neonatal mortality is localised to the to the second month of life, the period up to 60 days in the life of the newborn happens to be very crucial.
With an eye to improve this depressing scenario, the Union government has entrusted the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to implement its “Home Based Management of Young Infants� project.The project is being implemented in close collaboration with health and ICDS in order to study the efficacy of a package of home-based interventions delivered by a village based newborn care worker in reducing mortality rate among neo-nates and young infants in rural communities through a multi-site field trial. This project is being implemented in five districts of five states, including Bihar.
In Bihar, the project is being implemented in rural areas of Patna and PMCH obstetrics and gynaecology department head, Dr Sushma Pandey, is the principal investigator of the project. She is assisted by Patna civil surgeon Dr Sudhir Kumar and ICDS DPO K N Singh as co-principal investigators.