RAWALPINDI: Speakers stressed the need for provision of better healthcare facilities to women and newborns during labour and delivery.

This was stated at a seminar held in connection with ‘World Patient Safety Day’ at the Holy Family Hospital (HFH) on Friday. This year’s theme was Maternal Care and Respect for Mother.

Rawalpindi Medical University (RMU) Vice Chancellor Prof Mohammad Umar said the university had a programme of patient priority and safety called ‘Putting the Patient First’.

He said RMU had developed guidelines for antibiotic policy and salmonella resistance guideline for patient safety.

NIH Executive Director Maj-Gen Prof Dr Amer Ikram said national policy for patient safety would be evolved at national level and healthcare worker to be trained in NIH for this programme.

Speaking on the occasion, WHO country head Dr Palitha Mahipala said the patient safety day was being celebrated for the third time worldwide given the importance of patient safety while the major objective of this day’s was to minimise unnecessary risks and damage to all women and newborns during labour and delivery, as well as to advocate for the provision of quality services at the point of care.

He said around two million babies were also stillborn every year, with over 40pc occurring during labour, adding most of these deaths and stillbirths were avoidable through the provision of safe and quality care by skilled health care professionals working in supportive environments.

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2021