Patna: AIIMS Patna hosted one of India’s largest newborn-care training initiatives on Sunday as the National Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) Day brought together healthcare professionals, government officials and neonatal experts from across the country.
The nationwide campaign was organised by the National Neonatology Forum in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the State Health Society Bihar, UNICEF, the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India and the Trained Nurses’ Association of India.
Campaign Marks 35 Years Of Neonatal Resuscitation Training
The event commemorated 35 years of neonatal resuscitation training in India and aimed to train more than 18,000 healthcare providers in newborn resuscitation techniques in a single day.
Organisers described the effort as one of the world’s largest capacity-building exercises in newborn care and said it had also been proposed for inclusion in the Limca Book of Records.
The programme aligns with India’s Newborn Action Plan, which seeks to bring neonatal mortality into single digits by 2030.
The event began with a felicitation ceremony, followed by the National Song, lamp-lighting and the National Anthem.
‘Trained Manpower Key To Reducing Neonatal Mortality’
Chief guest Dr. Sanjay Jaiswal, Member of Parliament from Paschim Champaran, stressed the need to strengthen referral and stabilisation systems to ensure equitable healthcare access for mothers and newborns.
He said trained healthcare personnel remained central to reducing neonatal mortality and called for adoption of global best practices such as Kangaroo Mother Care and WHO-aligned newborn care standards.
He also praised collaborative efforts involving NNF, UNICEF and AIIMS Patna to strengthen neonatal healthcare outcomes in Bihar.
Focus On ‘First Golden Minute’
Monika Nielsen highlighted the importance of improving neonatal resuscitation skills among frontline healthcare workers.
She said timely intervention during the “first golden minute” after birth could dramatically improve newborn survival rates.
Raju Agarwal said Bihar would require sustained public health initiatives, continuous training and institutional support to bring neonatal mortality rates into single digits.
He also stressed the importance of regular skill reinforcement for healthcare workers managing neonatal emergencies.
Experts Stress Preventive And Early-Care Measures
Speaking at the event, Vivek said infrastructure alone was insufficient and that timely interventions immediately after birth were critical in preventing avoidable newborn deaths.
Lalan K Bharti said simple interventions such as neonatal resuscitation, Kangaroo Mother Care and exclusive breastfeeding could significantly reduce infant mortality.
He said the campaign aimed to ensure that every delivery point in the country had at least one healthcare provider trained in neonatal resuscitation.
Among those present were Anup Kumar, Punam Prasad Bhadani, S S Reddy and Saranya Manickaraj.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks by Bhabesh Kant Choudhary, followed by interaction sessions among delegates, doctors and healthcare workers participating in the campaign.
