Assessing the Regional and District capacity for Operationalizing Emergency Obstetric Care through First Referral Units in Gujarat

Abstract

Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC) is crucial for preventing maternal deaths for which the policy has been to establish First Referral Units (FRUs). Twenty seven facilities from 6 districts from each administrative region of Gujarat were studied to understand the management of EmOC at regional, district and below the district levels. In all 7 district hospitals, 8FRUs, 4 community health centers (CHC) and 8 round the clock primary health centers (PHC) were selected. Observation checklists, semi-structured interviews with service providers were used to collect data.Gujarat; Health; Maternal Health; Maternal mortality; First Referral Units; Emergency Obstetric Care; Biomedical Waste; MBBS; Human Resources; Labor Room