Infosys Foundation’s Post

Today morning my mobile came with some pictures that gave me feel goodness. It was three years ago, during my junior residency at AIIMS Bhubaneswar, I had an experience that felt good—both as a doctor and a person. I was in a remote village in the Tangi block of Odisha, conducting interviews for a study on the field effectiveness of Home-Based Newborn Care (HBNC). At that time, the Government of India was in the crucial phase of transitioning HBNC to Home-Based Care of Young Children (HBYC), aiming to extend essential care practices beyond the newborn stage from 42 days to 15 months. HBNC is an initiative in India where healthcare workers visit homes to provide essential care for newborns in their early days of life, helping reduce infant mortality by ensuring proper breastfeeding, warmth, hygiene, and early detection of illnesses. Building on this, the government introduced HBYC to extend this support beyond infancy, focusing on nutrition, immunization, and developmental monitoring up to five years of age. One of my tasks was to interview a mother about her experiences with these newborn care practices. Despite having a medical social worker with me to facilitate the interview in Odia, I decided to take on the challenge and conduct the entire interview myself—in Odia. This was a language I had just started to learn when I arrived in Bhubaneswar, knowing only English and Tamil. The decision was driven by a desire to connect more authentically and build trust within the community. As we talked, I could feel my confidence growing with each question. It was an incredible experience to navigate through both medical and cultural nuances in a language I was still mastering. At the end of our conversation, I asked the mother how my Odia was, just to gauge my progress. She was genuinely surprised when she realized I was not a native speaker—her reaction was one of the most rewarding moments of my journey in Odisha. This experience was more than just a successful interview; it was a moment of personal growth. Learning Odia not only allowed me to engage more deeply with the community but also gave me a sense of accomplishment that boosted my self-confidence tremendously. The transition from HBNC to HBYC is a significant step in child healthcare, aiming to cover critical developmental years with community-based interventions. This experience enriched my understanding of both community medicine and the importance of communication in healthcare. Sometimes, the most valuable lessons come from the journey itself, and not just the destination. #MedicalFieldwork #CommunityMedicine #LanguageLearning #PersonalGrowth #AIIMSBhubaneswar #Odia #NewbornCare #ChildHealthcare #PublicHealth

Bad for rural health: #healthcare #health #medicine #healthdata #data #healthcareinnovation #datawarehouse #ai #datascience #machinelearning #datacleaning #doctors #nurses #patients #clinicians #healthcareit

Boosting Maternal Care in Rajasthan!🏥🤱 In India, over 1.3 million women have died from maternal causes in the past two decades. Only recently has the importance of pregnancy, maternal, child care, and post-partum health begun to receive the attention it deserves. RAF Global is dedicated to improving healthcare access for marginalized communities, with a particular focus on rural women. Their efforts are concentrated in the Jaisalmer and Barmer districts, where they provide critical support to Health Sub-Centres and Community Health Centres (CHCs). These facilities often face significant challenges, including inadequate medical infrastructure and a lack of essential supplies. These issues are compounded by the vast distances and communication barriers that make it difficult for rural populations to access necessary health services. 💯 In response to these challenges, RAF Global has been working tirelessly to enhance the capabilities of these Health Sub-Centres. Their goal is to transform these facilities into SMART Sub-Centres, which are equipped with improved infrastructure, better health services, and extended outreach. By addressing these key issues, RAF Global aims to provide more reliable and accessible healthcare to the communities they serve, reducing the reliance on under-equipped facilities and bridging the gap in healthcare access for rural women and other marginalized groups. 🌟👩⚕️👶

This week, Madhukar Kumar Bhagat (Joint Secretary in MoH, India) at the 21st Indo-US Economic Summit focused on the theme "Public-Private Partnerships" stressing that PPPs should prioritize the availability, affordability, and access to quality healthcare. In Assam, Nivi, Inc.'s work with the Population Council, Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research, Guwahati Obstetric & Gynaecological Society, CEntre for North East Studies and Policy Research (C-NES) under the Strengthening Systems for Safer Childbirth (S3C) initiative by MSD for Mothers is focussed on precisely that! Highlights from the e-SAATHI engagement in Assam - 1️⃣ Availability: The Maternal Health journey on #askNivi can now be accessed via 170+ public and private facilities. Through online and offline campaigns, it has engaged over 19,500 pregnant and 4,800 postpartum women to raise awareness about caring for themselves during pregnancy and their children's health after birth. ~16710+ women onboarded the askNivi chatbot to get weekly updates. 2️⃣ Access to Quality Healthcare: askNivi periodically reminds subscribers of the MH journey for Antenatal and Postnatal Care visits, following up with messages to gather feedback on their visits. This collects valuable data points to determine the Quality of Care women receive at these facilities. We work with facilities to improve aspects where the feedback isn't favorable to ensure Respectful Maternal Care for all mothers. ~9300 ANC visits reminded and ~8500 visits facilitated already. 3️⃣ Affordability: askNivi's referrals are always based upon the users' situation and context. Suppose our users highlight financial barriers to accessing care. In that case, we prioritize referrals to public facilities where they can receive care free of cost or at subsidized rates to ensure they receive the care they need, when they need it. ✅ Government endorsements for Nivi's work in Assam demonstrate the credibility and the ability to deliver impactful healthcare solutions in public health facilities, extending access to healthcare for all, especially underserved and remote communities. ✨ We have more exciting news coming very soon: we'll launch the Maternal Health Journey in another state in India with a pilot in 2 Public Health facilities. Stay tuned to catch the update! ✨ Sowmya Ramesh Pompy Sridhar Ashita Munjral Sanjana Jain Ragini Ahluwalia Siddhartha Goyal Ben Bellows Mark Allen Sriya Srikrishnan Namrata Goswami Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India ETHealthWorld https://lnkd.in/dKTzhyzh

To ensure that quality #healthcare is delivered to women and children, especially in rural India, #InfosysFoundation teamed up with The Antara Foundation (TAF) to launch the Akshita Program in January 2024, in Damoh district of Madhya Pradesh. The project will be implemented in five blocks in Damoh district, which covers a population of 8,74,363 across 844 villages. The project will partner with the government of Madhya Pradesh, with the aim to train 2,500 frontline workers, labor room nurses and establish 130 health and wellness centers. This collective effort is projected to benefit over 112,000 pregnant women, lactating mothers, and children annually. It will lead to a significant increase in early pregnancy registrations, antenatal check-ups, and the identification and management of high-risk pregnancies. In addition, this project will help identify and treat young children, under the age of five, who suffer Severe Acute Malnutrition and Moderate Acute Malnutrition (SAM and MAM) and result in an overall increase in the number of fully immunized. Through the Akshita Program, Infosys Foundation and TAF envision a future where unfettered access to essential maternal and child healthcare services is available to all. #CSR #InfosysCSR

Pomelo Care Acquires The Doula Network to Link Patients with Community-Based Doulas – MedCity News - MedCity News Summary: #PomeloCareAcquisition: Pomelo Care has acquired The Doula Network to connect patients with community-based doulas, enhancing maternal health services. #BenefitsOfDoulas: Doulas provide personalized support, education, and advocacy for pregnant individuals, leading to improved birth outcomes and patient satisfaction. #IntegrationProcess: The integration of The Doula Network into Pomelo Care's platform will streamline access to doulas for patients and healthcare providers. #ImpactOnMaternalHealth: This acquisition has the potential to address disparities in maternal health outcomes by increasing access to doula services for underserved populations. #FuturePlans: Pomelo Care aims to expand its network of doulas and further integrate dou ai.mediformatica.com #doula #network #pomelo #pomelocare #thedoulanetwork #patients #maternity #maternitycare #acce #acquisition #doulas #provide #digitalhealth #healthit #healthtech #healthcaretechnology @MediFormatica (https://buff.ly/4eiAWOB)

Over 55% of rural hospitals in the United States do not provide maternity care, with financial challenges and labor shortages leading many to scale back or eliminate labor and delivery services. A report from the Center for Healthcare Quality and Payment Reform reveals that in over 10 states, more than two-thirds of rural hospitals lack maternity care, contributing to a nationwide trend where demand for obstetrics care is increasing, while accessibility for rural patients is hindered by longer travel times. https://lnkd.in/etcFdKVp #sandiola #inpatientacuitycaptureexperts #becauseeverypatientanddollarmatters #ruralhospitals #clinicaldocumentationintegrity #CDI #bestpractices #hospitals #drgoptimization #healthcare #RROI #ROI #ruralhealthcare #technology #teamwork #healthcareprofessionals #acdis #healthcareproviders #healthcarechallenges #healthcareaccess #hospital #medicare #medicaid #telehealth #medicare #medicareadvantage#Healthcare #FinancialPerformance #CDI #SandiolaSuccess #CommunityHealthcare #PRNewswire

In 2023, the 102 ambulance service in Odisha transported around 60,000 pregnant women, many of whom delivered their babies by route, assisted solely by male nursing staff. This highlights a significant gap in the healthcare system that warrants urgent attention: the lack of female staff in ambulances dedicated to carrying pregnant women. In Odisha, like many other states across India, the 108/102 ambulances deployed for this crucial task have no female nursing staff or drivers. This issue not only poses a challenge to the comfort and privacy of pregnant women but also raises concerns about their overall care and emotional well-being during one of the most critical moments of their lives. The presence of female healthcare professionals in such situations is essential, not just from a medical standpoint but also for providing the much-needed comfort and dignity to expectant mothers. A familiar, empathetic face can make a world of difference, especially during stressful moments such as childbirth. As healthcare leaders, we must push for change. It’s imperative to advocate for the inclusion of female staff in emergency response teams dedicated to maternal health. This will require strategic hiring, targeted training programs, and policy shifts that emphasize gender-sensitive healthcare delivery. By addressing this gap, we can take a significant step toward creating a more compassionate and effective healthcare system. It’s time to ensure that every woman feels safe, respected, and adequately cared for, not just in hospitals but from the moment she makes that critical journey in an ambulance. #HealthcareForAll #GenderEqualityInHealthcare #MaternalHealth #AmbulanceServices #ClinohealthInnovation #108ambulanceservice #Nationalhealthminister

In Gujarat, the tribal population constitutes 14.8% of the overall population, with approximately 89.17 lakh individuals residing in 14 districts. Thus, the provision of accessible and timely healthcare, especially pregnancy care, is necessary for the well-being and development of the tribal communities. Using geospatial analysis to study the distribution and accessibility of public healthcare facilities in tribal regions of Gujarat, we find that there are significant distribution and population density biases in public health facilities against tribal regions and border districts, blocks, and villages. Furthermore, the location and distribution of public health centres are suboptimal in most tribal-populated districts, resulting in inadequate pregnancy care. https://lnkd.in/dYUn_fGg

Geriatricians: Specialists for the Golden Years When you need a doctor for a child, you seek out a pediatrician. So why don't we do the same for our elderly loved ones? A geriatrician specializes in the unique needs of older adults, much like a pediatrician does for children. Anyone with a basic understanding of science knows that symptoms, report interpretations, medication doses, durations, and types differ significantly between elderly patients and those aged 16 to 60. The elderly often face unnecessary hospital admissions, over-prescribed medications, and excessive investigations. Let's change this. A geriatrician provides tailor-made therapy for the elderly, ensuring that their dignity is prioritized. Just as pediatricians cater to children, geriatricians are dedicated to the care and well-being of our elderly populati #hospital #clinic #india #gujarat #ahmedabad #sterling #hospital