Why in news?
- Madhya Pradesh has recorded the highest percentage of newborn deaths of 11.5% against the total admissions to government run sick newborn care units (SNCUs) in the past three years across the country, a rate ominously spiralling since 2017
- According to the National Health Mission (NHM). The country’s average is 7%.
Several factors responsible for deaths
Staff crunch, low community referrals, absence of a special neonatal transport service to health centres, and the non-availability of enough units to cater to increasing institutional deliveries had contributed to the spike in the percentage of deaths
