In collaboration with the Vellore CMC Foundation, CMC has been actively engaged in the roll-out of a USAID American Schools and Hospital Abroad (ASHA) funded program targeted at “Improving Maternal and Neonatal Health Outcomes”. The project aims to improve the birthing conditions and delivery outcomes for all mothers, while also focusing on the health of babies born with “birth asphyxia”. Birth asphyxia occurs when a baby does not receive enough oxygen before, during, or just after birth.

Utilizing funds received through ASHA’s FY2018-awarded grant, CMC acquired thirty (30) specialized birthing beds for its Obstetrics & Labor rooms, a Neonatal Simulation Mannikin for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (ICU) training programs, and an Amplitude Integrated electroencephalography (EEG) and cooling device for the Neonatology ICU. The EEG, used for monitoring a newborn’s brain function in intensive care settings, is critical for early diagnosis and treatment decisions.

The ASHA program helps to ensure that U.S.-manufactured medical technology is made accessible to low- and middle-income countries like India. For this reason, the specialized birthing beds are required to meet the same high standards as in any U.S.-based maternity hospital. They are designed to provide maximum accessibility during the pre-and postpartum (and postnatal) periods of the delivery. The Neonatal Simulator, co-created with the American Academy of Pediatrics, provides the ability to practice in a realistic environment to improve patient outcomes by ensuring that a highly skilled team will be ready to deliver quality care under time-sensitive and critical circumstances.

CMC has also set a series of “public diplomacy” goals designed and implemented to create a direct link between ASHA development funding and America’s generosity. Within CMC’s ASHA-funded Maternal and Neonatal Health program is the concerted effort to adopt and share American values with its professional and patient communities. The shared American values focus on promoting an open, fair, and equal society for women and minorities; generosity/charity; and producing evidence-based knowledge using science and technology to improve health outcomes for women in labor and babies born with birth asphyxia.

Through this partnership with USAID ASHA, patients in South India will receive more dignified care and better associated outcomes due to the availability of CMC’s newly purchased ASHA-funded equipment.

Read more about our longstanding partnership with USAID ASHA here.