Hanamkonda Pioneers Simple Solutions to Reduce Sepsis Among Newborns

At the Government Maternity Hospital in Hanamkonda, Warangal District Telangana the Safe Care, Saving Lives team is finding simple solutions to solve major challenges affecting the health and wellbeing of mothers and newborns. In the Special Newborn Care Unit of the hospitals, infections pose one of the greatest risks. Safe Care, Saving Lives team members at the hospital through Quality Improvement initiatives help reduce infections in newborns

First, the staff ensured they had a designated hand hygiene area near the newborn care unit. They installed new elbow operated sinks, so that they could turn the water on and off without spreading bacteria. The Medical Superintendent also made sure that alcohol based hand disinfectants and sanitizers were next to each bed, and slippers and face masks were readily available. These efforts, taken together, were able to create an infection free environment. Adherence to the new handwashing and hand hygiene regime nearly tripled within just three months.

“The Safe Care, Saving Lives quality improvement guidelines once again prove that we can significantly improve health outcomes without necessarily spending a lot of money on infrastructure, training, or equipment,” said Dr. Nirmala, Medical Superintendent and Head of Department, Gynaecology, and Obstetrics at the hospital. “What really matters is that you have a group of people who are dedicated to finding simple ways to improve the quality of care given to patients. Here at the Government Maternity Hospital, we are lucky to have a great team committed to quality improvement initiatives.”