The document provides details of infrastructure, training, role of healthcare providers and steps in the operationalisation of FPC in the newborn care unit
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW) recently released operational guidelines for planning and implementation of Family Participatory Care (FPC) for improving newborn health. The guidelines will serve as a guiding document for those intending to introduce FPC in their facility as an integral part of facility based newborn care. The document also provides details of infrastructure, training, role of healthcare providers and steps in the operationalisation of FPC in the newborn care unit. The operational guidelines of FPC are for all stakeholders involved in the process of planning and delivering newborn care.
The guidelines also address various aspects of attitudes, infrastructural modifications and practice that will help in establishing FPC at Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU). These include sensitisation of state and district Managers on FPC, prioritisation of SNCUs for initiating FPC, making required infrastructural enhancement in SNCU, creating family participatory care environment, ensuring availability of supplies for parents-attendants, training of SNCU staff, role of healthcare providers for FPC implementation and institutional support for FPC.
Under FPC, the capacities of parents-attendants are built in newborn care through a structured training programme (audio -visual module and a training guide). The staff at newborn care unit will provide continuous supervision and support. Provisions for infrastructure and logistics strengthening required for implementing FPC are ensured in the annual state Program Implementation Plan (PIP). The guidelines will be shared with the states for implementation and it is expected that these guidelines when implemented by states would further improve the quality of care being provided in the SNCUs across the country.
Under National Health Mission, more than 700 state-of-the-art Special Newborn Care Units (SNCU) have been established across the country to provide 24×7 comprehensive care to the newborns by dedicated trained staff.