Dawn NEWS Report 2/27/2012 12:00:00 AM
PESHAWAR, Feb 26: The experts have called upon health workers to make sure that would-be mothers visit health centres for regular checkups as it will enable them to deliver normal babies and stay in good health themselves. We can lower the maternal and neonatal mortality rate when we have trained birth attendants. The role of midwives can be significant to improve mother and child health scenario in the province, especially in the areas hit by flood,` said Dr Mohammad Rehman Khattak, provincial coordinator of Technical Resource Facility (TRF), UKAID. He was addressing a ceremony, held at Kuwait Teaching Hospital here on Sunday to mark the end of 7th and beginning of 8th midwifery refresher course.
Dr Khattak said that along with provision of medication, midwives should also try to scale up people`s awareness level regarding factors leading to complications in pregnancies.
He said that prevention was far easier and cheaper than treatment therefore all out efforts should be made to inform people about general health and hygiene-related problems to stem the tide of many illness-es.
Dr Khattak, who was chief guest on the occasion, said that the project to provide training to midwives from the flood-affected areas of Nowshera and Charsadda by Prime Foundation and International Development and Relief Foundation (IDRF), Canada was a step in right direction because women were the worst sufferers of every natural calamity.
He said that Peshawar Medical College was pioneering to integrate medical education with research, community service and development through such novel initiatives and acted as path finder for otherhealth academia.
He asked the organisers to document the experiences of the project so that others could follow the suit and know about role of health organisations in social development.
Later, he gave away certificate and delivery kits to the outgoing batch.
Dr Saeed Anwar, director of the Prime Foundation, said that the programme was aimed at contributing towards health improvement in the flood-affected districts on sustainable basis.
He said that highly trained doctors at Kuwait Teaching Hospitaland Peshawar Medical College had been imparting practical training to midwives to build their capacity so that they could become better health providers and benefit people in their villages.
Dr Anwar said that health indicators regarding mother and child health in the flood-affected areas still required more attention as people also suffered from psychological problems.
Most of the people, who lost their relatives or suffered material losses due to flood, were still in trauma, he said, adding they needed attention.and Peshawar Medical College had been imparting practical training to midwives to build their capacity so that they could become better health providers and benefit people in their villages.
Dr Anwar said that health indicators regarding mother and child health in the flood-affected areas still required more attention as people also suffered from psychological problems.
Most of the people, who lost their relatives or suffered material losses due to flood, were still in trauma, he said, adding they needed attention.
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