Delhi aims to halve infant mortality rate

Delhi government’s health department aims to bring down the infant mortality rate by half from almost 50 percent now, by 2012, reports Rhythma Kaul.

Delhi government’s health department aims to bring down the infant mortality rate by half from almost 50 percent now, by 2012.

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JP Singh, principal secretary health, Delhi government, said: “On the pattern of Mamta scheme, we plan to empanel

private hospitals that have

expert care to provide care for newborns. We’ll issue reimbursement vouchers to people under BPL.”

There was also a plan, under public private partnership (PPP), where government hospitals would provide space to expert health agencies to develop neonatal facilities, he added.

The state also plans to upgrade the infrastructure of 20 mother and child units of the 34 run by Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD).

“This will be part of national rural health mission, wherein we’ll link these units with tertiary care hospitals in their respective zones to provide expert care. The units, as of now, have basic delivery facilities,” said Singh.