Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (NSSK) is a government scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM), aimed at reducing newborn mortality and improving infant care across India. This government program focuses on training healthcare professionals to provide immediate and essential care to newborns during the critical period after birth.
This article aims to provide complete details of the Navjat Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram and how it is changing the dynamics of the Indian Healthcare industry.
Overview
| Aspect | Details |
|---|
| Launch Year | 2009 |
| Objective | Reduce Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) and improve newborn health outcomes. |
| Target Group | Newborns and infants, particularly from vulnerable and disadvantaged populations. |
| Key Benefits | Skilled birth attendance, essential newborn care, capacity building, and enhanced care infrastructure. |
| Implementing Agency | Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW), Government of India. |
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What Is Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram?
The Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram was launched to prevent newborn mortality and safeguard the lives of children at the most critical times, immediately after birth. Newborns have several complications since birth and the NSSK program equips the medical personnel on how to handle these complications.
History
In September 2009, NSSK was established under Ghulam Nabi Azad to address the infant mortality rate (IMR). Then, in India’s rural areas, it stood at 46 out of 1,000 live births, and 28 in urban centers. From the very beginning, NSSK has aimed to enhance the quality of care for newborns through training of medical staff and as a result, IMR has recorded a significant reduction.
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Goal
The notion of the NSSK program is to safeguard and promote infant mortality as it stands today in India. It emphasises addressing all forms of care and the prevention of mortality. Some of the main goals of NSSK include
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Strengthening of the Neonatal Care Unit and its Interventions which are based on evidence.
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Ensuring geographic equity to all Newborns especially those residing in under-charted territories.
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Compassing a balanced centrist view on surviving and supporting infants in the delicate-first crucial period.
Benefits Of The NSSK Scheme
The NSSK program brings forth clean and positive changes that focus on the improvement of care and survival of newborns. It makes sure that there is enough medical assistance during delivery and that the newborns are properly taken care of. As such, the major benefits of NSSK are
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Skilled Birth Attendance: Trained medical personnel are in place to ensure that there are no complications during childbirth.
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Essential Newborn Care: Pivots towards early starting of breastfeeding, thermal protection, prevention of infection and neonatal resuscitation.
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Strengthened Infrastructure: Sick Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) specifically designed for the treatment of newborn have been set up.
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Capacity Building: Advanced newborn care practices are taught to healthcare providers which include doctors, nurses, and midwives.
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Improved Home-Based Care: Encourages the follow-up of patients through the home visits of trained personnel.
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Need For This Government Scheme
NSSK is needed to improve newborn health and reduce infant deaths in India. Many newborns face risks in their first days of life, especially in underserved areas. The main reasons for NSSK are:
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High Infant Mortality Rate: Though more progress has been made, they still have difficulty in maintaining their IMR, particularly in the more rural dominions.
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Vulnerability of Newborns: An important time, requiring skilled attention so that there are no attendant complications.
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Healthcare Disparities: NSSK targets address the inequities in the provision of healthcare services.
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Lack of trained personnel: The government program is also targeting skilled rural healthcare workers in the management of emergencies and the provision of quality newborn care.
Eligibility Criteria
NSSK is designed to help newborns and improve healthcare services. It focuses on training healthcare workers and supporting babies in need. The eligibility criteria for NSSK include:
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Target Group: Newborns and infants, particularly those in vulnerable conditions.
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Healthcare Providers: Doctors, nurses, and midwives are eligible for NSSK training programs.
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Geographic Coverage: Focus on underserved areas, including rural and economically disadvantaged regions.
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Referral and Medical Needs: Sick newborns requiring specialised care in SNCUs.
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Beneficiaries Of Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (NSSK)
NSSK scheme helps in curing those babies that develop health problems at birth or soon after they are born. These are issues such as how to prevent infection, early initiation of breastfeeding and/ or how to resuscitate a baby that may be struggling to breathe if trained under NSSK. Such efforts are important in preventing cases of early deaths among infants as well as enhancing better health among newborns.
How Does Training Medical Personnel Help In Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (NSSK)?
Knowledgeable medical training is very important in enhancing the lives and existence of newborns. NSSK trains medical personnel such as doctors, nurses and midwives, which enables them to offer the best possible care to their clients. This training also makes some of the staff ready to deal with emergencies, applying the correct medical apparatus and executing procedures which may be useful in saving the lives of a newborn.
How Does The Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (NSSK) Program Relate To Universal Healthcare?
NSSK is an important move in the process of providing healthcare for all because it means that every newborn child gets the right medical attention. Thus, the agenda of the program includes a specific goal which is to observe the difference in health characteristics between different population groups and give every child an equally favourable prognosis.
Conclusion
NSSK which stands for Navjaat Shishu Suraksha Karyakram translates to newborn survival care programme, this programme alone saves many lives in India. Through mobilization of relevant human resources and provision of equipment to medical personnel, NSSK makes sure that the newborns are well taken, especially during their most vulnerable times.
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