Birth attendants all set to get training from telehealth clinics

ISLAMABAD: Comsats and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have trained Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs) from telehealth clinics of Punjab, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

SBAs are frontline workers in a telehealth system catering to maternal health and childcare needs. Dealing patients on a one-to-one basis to provide medical care of a very sensitive nature, these attendants are the backbone of the sexual and reproductive healthcare system.

Realising the need for the necessary capacity building and skill development in sexual, reproductive and maternal health (SRMH) domain, the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (Comsats) in collaboration with WHO, Pakistan, held the second round of virtual training on SRH tailored for SBAs.

The first phase of the training had benefited doctors from various telehealth clinics across Pakistan.

The present phase of the training was held in two batches of five days each, wherein 26 SBAs, including lady health visitors (LHVs) and community midwives (CMWs) from telehealth clinics of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan learned new concepts and techniques in SRH along with a recap refresher of the older ones still in use.

Interactive lectures supported by visual aids and video demonstrations were given to the participants on topics which included effective ways for visual data collection and video interaction, prenatal care with special considerations for Covid-19 in pregnancy and routine care in labour, delivery and postpartum care as per guidelines provided by WHO, the significance of good mental health, effective postpartum stress management, adolescent health and SRH self-care interventions.

-MN Report