Dr. Hema Divakar, Vice-Chair of FIGO Pregnancy & NCD committee, emphasizes easy storage and availability of ampoules in hospitals
BELAGAVI: Renowned healthcare leader Dr. Hema Divakar, the Vice-Chair of Pregnancy & NCD (Non-Communicable Diseases) Committee, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), today emphasized the need for easy availability, storage, and timely administration of medicine to prevent excessive bleeding (postpartum hemorrhage) among women after childbirth, which is one of the major reasons for higher maternal mortality rate (MMR) in underdeveloped nations.
Dr. Hema, who is also the CEO of Bengaluru-based ARTIST for Her (Asian Research and Training Institute for Skill Transfer), made the observations here today at the global launch of the RTS Carbetocin Ferring at the Women’s and Children’s Health Unit, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research. To mark the occasion, 1,000 ampoules of Carbetocin (medicine to control postpartum hemorrhage) were handed over for free to the unit.
Such medicines currently available in the country require special storage conditions, including refrigeration. On the contrary, Carbetocin is heat stable and does not require refrigeration, ideal for use in developing and underdeveloped countries where power supply is not stable. This is for the first time that Carbetocin is being administered in India.
When Dr. Hema was the president of FOGSI (Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India), she championed institutionalizing the administration of medicine to prevent bleeding after birth; sensitizing the healthcare providers about the need for refrigerated storage of the medicine and administering it within one minute after delivery. From 2013, under her leadership and with the help of FOGSI champions, the implementation of the protocol for appropriate use of the medicine to prevent postpartum hemorrhage increased to more than 68% in many parts of India through the ‘Helping Mothers Survive’ campaign.
“Today, it is standard protocol for hospitals, both private and government, to administer medicine to women soon after they deliver the baby. This has significantly contributed to the reduction of MMR in India. It is all the more important in our country because over 50% of pregnant women are anemic, and if such women bleed excessively, the incidence of deaths due to postpartum hemorrhage becomes even higher if this medicine is not administered in time,” pointed out Dr. Hema.
Sharing similar views, Dr. S. Shantha Kumari, President, FOGSI, said the organization had intensified its efforts to educate hospitals and train the healthcare workers on various protocols through special campaigns. “It is our objective to minimize postpartum hemorrhage by maximizing the implementation and the practice of the protocol of administering medicine in time,” she added.
Dr. N. Rajkumar, Deputy Director of Maternal Health, Department of Health & Family Welfare Services, Government of Karnataka; Dr. Prabhakar B Kore, Chairman, KEL Society and Dr. Vivek A Saoji, Vice-Chancellor, KLE Academy of Higher Education and Research were among the dignitaries present on the occasion.
(ಉಪಯುಕ್ತ ನ್ಯೂಸ್)
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