GE Healthcare and NICE Foundation, an NGO with the largest Neonatal Hospital in India, will work together towards two new benchmarking healthcare models for maternal infant care.

The infant mortality is 56.72 for every 1000 babies born in India. Around 12 lakh infants die during the first month of life, which is one-fourth of the global number. Every minute a mother dies in India, which is otherwise preventable. Around 25 per cent of world's childbirth happens in India yet it is one of the most neglected care areas.

Access to neonatology expertise and technology is extremely limited in India, and is reflected in high infant mortality rate and neonatal mortality rate.

These new healthcare models while delivering quality care will explore the possibility of innovative new technology that are simple to use, portable, battery operated and economical so that 80 per cent of the society can afford it and 20 per cent are subsidized through NGOs.

Ganesh Prasad, vice president, Clinical Systems, GE Healthcare said, "Similar to telecommunications, we believe these new models will revolutionize healthcare. If we are able to create simple tools that are also economical and attractive to the smallest of clinics, we will be taking the right actions to counter maternal infant deaths in the country."

The model will be rolled out in 6 centres in Andhra Pradesh and will work on a not-for-profit basis. This will be a new standard in India for maternal infant care with a hygienic delivery facility to avoid infection to mother and baby. It will offer phototherapy system to counter jaundice in new born. It will be equipped with warmers to save low weight babies. There will be ultrasound system to screen the baby pre and post birth for complications including cardiac and diabetic problems. In addition, there Pulse Oxy Meter for resuscitation in new born and pharmacy support for medication.

GE Healthcare will provide technologies to NICE Foundation and will take the findings from this project to make new and innovative solutions for the future. NICE Foundation will work with Government of Andhra Pradesh to set up the six centers with a capacity of 10 beds and 10-12 staff. An expert Cardiologist and Endocrinolgist will visit these centers once a fortnight for monitoring the patients.

These centres will be manned by trained midwives and will network to support up to 50 neighbouring villages or hamlets. The centres will be equipped with baby warmers and photo-therapy systems for newborns, hygienic labour suites and operating theatres for proper delivery care, and are aimed to provide free care to tribal people.

"We have demonstrated that this is a workable business proposition through our Hospital in Hyderabad. We believe we are taking the right actions with the new proposed model," said Dr Padmanabha Reddy, CEO, NICE Foundation.

NICE Foundation was started in 2002. NICE Hospitals is the first 100 bedded neonatal speciality hospital in the country. Dedicated towards improving maternal health and combating infant & child mortality, the Foundation provides quality healthcare to the economical backward classes.