The National Health Service (SNS) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) office in Santo Domingo announced a reduction in maternal and newborn death statistics. From October 2018 to October 2019 there has been 33 fewer maternal deaths and 500 fewer deaths of newborn babies in public hospitals nationwide.
The most improvements are reported for the provinces of Azua, San Juan de la Maguana and Elías Piña in the southwest and west of the country. These provinces showed a 61% improvement in their maternal and baby death statistics. Medical authorities in the western provinces of Independencia, Barahona, Bahoruco and Pedernales in the same geographical area reported declines of 46% in their maternal and neonatal mortality indexes.
The SNS reported that in the public hospitals in Santo Domingo and Santiago, where 55% of the almost 200,000 births a year are reported, maternal deaths were down 41% and newborn deaths 33%.
The SNS explains the improvement is the result of a series of enhanced measures in prenatal consultation services, preparation, delivery, immediate attention to the newborn, postpartum and breastfeeding. In addition, development and implementation of best practices, biosecurity standards control, compliance with medical watches, hiring and training of personnel, psychoprophylaxis during labor and implementation of visual reminders. The 24 public hospitals that manage 70% of births nationwide have also received additional equipment and supplies, carried out better internal monitoring and distributed information to mothers on newborn care and breastfeeding.
It also provides equipment and supplies, internal monitoring, information for mothers on newborn care and breastfeeding wards.
Regardless of the improvements, maternal and neonatal death indexes in the Dominican Republic continue high. Official statistics indicate there have been 2,180 newborn deaths (in the 27 first days of birth) so far this 2019.
The most deaths of newborns occur in the Enriquillo region that encompasses the southwestern provinces of Barahona, Bahoruco, Independencia and Pedernales on the border with Haiti. It reflects the thousands of births to immigrant mothers from Haiti.
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El Dia
El Nuevo Diario
28 October 2019