Thirteen community health nurses in the district were honoured for their services in the cause of antenatal care at a conference on ‘Maternal and child health’ organised under the auspices of the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project here on Sunday.
V.C.Subash Gandhi, District Health Systems Project Officer, said community health nurses played a key role in identifying high-risk mothers during special block-level camps organised by the Health Department.
So far, 51 camps have been conducted since 2014 in which as many as 4,432 antenatal mothers were screened. Of them, 1,440 were identified as high-risk with symptoms of blood pressure and pregnancy-induced hypertension etc.
At least 412 high-risk mothers have given birth safely thanks to the sustained care given by these 13 community health nurses, he said. A sustained follow up treatment was being provided to the balance 1,028 mothers.
Each of the nurses were honoured with the Dr. Muthulakshmi Reddy Memorial appreciation certificate.
Ramalingam, Nodal Officer, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Dr. Ranees’s Government Maternity Hospital, spoke on the health problems faced by neonates and explained the preventive steps to be adopted.
The Health Department has provided latest and advanced equipment for Neonatal Intensive Care Units for all the major hospitals across the State, he said.