Rajasthan to introduce Family Centered Care in district hospitals

The Government of Rajasthan will introduce Family Centered Care (FCC) in district hospitals throughout the state.

This is an initiative where parents and hospital staff work together and will help save even more newborn babies.

Family Centered Care (FCC) is an innovative health approach where parents and providers work in tandem to ensure the well-being of vulnerable newborn babies.

In 2015, the FCC was set up in Alwar's district hospital in cooperation with the Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI).

The FCC represents a paradigm shift in the newborn care continuum by moving from a predominantly provider-centric to a shared model of care. Sick and low birth weight newborns are highly vulnerable and require careful nurturing in order to survive the first year of life.

Improved communication and involvement of parents in their baby's care can reduce the length of stay and need for re-hospitalisation of newborns.

After testing FCC in the district of Alwar, The State Health department of Rajasthan has now decided to expand the innovation to all 33 districts of Rajasthan. The state-wide launch was announced on 2 October 2016, at the event of Mahatma Gandhi's birthday.

"Family Centered Care ensures true empowerment of the mother for taking care of the small babies in the community, as per principles taught by Mahatma Gandhi," emphasized state Health Minister Rajendra Singh Rathore in his opening address at the launch.

He thanked Norway for the technical assistance provided to the state for scaling up Family Centered Care.

In his address, he also highlighted that the Rajasthan Government is committed to the welfare of the mothers and children of the state. The health initiatives were launched in the presence of the Norwegian Ambassador, Mr. Nils Ragnar Kamsvag earlier this week.

"The Family Centered Care initiative builds on the simple truth that the family is the cornerstone in our societies, and that that the family is the primary source of strength and support for any child," said the Ambassador.

The Government of Norway through the Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI), was the first to implement Family Centered Care on India. The approach has been successfully implemented in several district hospitals in Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan. In addition to Rajasthan, the states of Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, and Odisha are also in the process of scaling up FCC using existing Government health funds. FCC is integrated in the Operational Guidelines for Strengthening Paediatric Health, which was issued by the national Ministry of Health and family Welfare in September.