FOGSI’s Manyata Initiative Ensures Safe Deliveries For 26,500 Women In Karnataka

* Around 530 healthcare workers from 53 hospitals trained to deliver safe and respectful care to the expecting mothers

The Manyata certification by FOGSI has been given to 40 maternity facilities in Karnataka amid the COVID19 pandemic, which is impacting pregnant women severely. These facilities are among the 53 that have been provided with training and assessment in more than 10 districts in the state. This has ensured 26,500 safe deliveries across the state. The training and the entire procedure of certification are being undertaken by the FOGSI recognized CSE in Bengaluru- ARTIST - Asian Research and Training Institute for Skill Transfer. ARTIST is a group of individuals who are dedicated to pioneering innovative research, influencing national-level policy changes, and building capacity through skill transfer. It focuses on activities that will contribute towards the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as outlined by the United Nations.

Manyata is a quality improvement and certification initiative by the Federation of Obstetric and Gynecological Societies of India (FOGSI) which ensures private facilities adhere to WHO-recommended quality care standards and provide safe and respectful care to their patients.

The initiative focuses on building a skilled and competent team of doctors and nurses through a comprehensive curriculum of 16 clinical standards that cover every aspect of pregnancy, right from antenatal care to postpartum family planning counselling. The Quality Improvement trainings provided under the initiative, has brought monumental difference in the way nurses conduct and manage the expecting mothers, especially in managing life threating complications like PPH (post-partum hemorrhage), eclampsia, etc.

Speaking about the progress related to maternity care in the state of Karnataka, Dr. Hema Divakar, National Convenor, Manyata and Lead of Bengaluru CSE, said, “There is an urgent need to train and equip the healthcare staff in private maternity clinics to enable them to take informed steps to manage pregnant women during obstetric complications and emergencies. FOGSI’s Manyata initiative fits perfectly to address this need. The curriculum is so basic for even the smallest of facilities can implement them, but at the same time the coverage is comprehensive so that nothing is missed out. that Through ARTIST, my vision is to reach the length and breadth of Karnataka, and beyond, and make Manyata trainings available at all levels of the society so that every expecting mother is able to seek the highest standards of quality care with respect.”

One of the beneficiaries of the initiative, Dr. Vidya Thobbi, a renowned ObGyn from Bijapur said, “I am grateful to the ARTIST team for seamlessly conducting the Manyata trainings virtually for my nurses and staff. Although they were a bit apprehensive about joining the sessions initially, but they never looked back right from the first session. The training has made a huge difference in their depth of knowledge on each topic, and they are far more organized in the labor room.”

At a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has further necessitated the urgent need to improve maternal health outcomes in the country, particularly for underserved communities in hard-to-reach areas, Manyata is wielding the power of digital interventions to complement the Indian Government's Universal Health Coverage ambitions and its goal to meet the SDG 3.1 goal of reducing maternal mortality to 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030. The initiative is currently running in 14 states in India and has certified a total of 1058 facilities until now.