RCH Full Form

The RCH which stands for reproductive and child health programme, was initiated in 1997 as a joint scheme along with the national rural and urban health mission with the government of India. The programme’s main aim is to reduce the infant and neonatal mortality rate by augmenting proper vaccination and institutional delivery. Through puerperal sepsis, anaemia, and hypertension, the maternal mortality ratio is greatly reduced by this scheme. This programme also includes contraceptive guidelines for couples who wish to have no further kids. The various modalities regarding contraception are advised.

They also concentrate on reducing sexually transmitted diseases. The second phase of this scheme was launched on April 1, 2005. This scheme had three golden goals-reducing infant mortality rate, reducing fertility, and reducing the maternal mortality rate. This scheme was then extended towards the welfare of adolescents and children, and this gave rise to the new amended scheme of reproductive and child health care in 2013. This includes various amenities and facilities that increase the incidence of hospital delivery.

Reproductive and child healthcare programme phase 1

There were various types of intervention carried out by the government in selected districts, such as,

• Provision of vitamin a to control acute diarrhoea and respiratory disorders, as the presence of vitamin a confers the mucosal immunity as this vitamin helps in the generation of epithelium.

• Implementing the target free approach

• Training the Asha worker and nurses who assist in the delivery

• Provision of oral rehydration therapy for any diarrheal diseases according to the severity and weight of the infants

• Provision of customised kits to women living in slums and poor tribal areas.

• Encouraging the participation of women, panchayat leaders, and non-governmental organisations to get and spread awareness about this programme is mandatory.

• Installation of reproductive and sexual health care clinics in district headquarters hospitals.

• Provision of safety measures for safe and hygiene abortion for the appropriate time 

• Reproductive health care for an adolescent girl with awareness about the menstrual hygiene and usage of sanitary napkins

Reproductive and child health care phase 1 intervention in states

• Essential and emergency care for pregnant women during their pregnancy

• Provision of drug and treatment kits to the village nurses

• Screening counselling and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases at the sub-divisional level.

• The referral services for the transport of women requiring emergency services to higher institutions for safe procurement

• Initiation of medical termination of pregnancy in conjunction with medical termination of pregnancy act 1971 for delivery that threatens the lives of mother and fetus 

• Equipment kits, including drugs and instruments, are shipped to district headquarters and primary health care centres. 

• Sub Center level has drug kits A and B, a midwife kit, and at the primary health care centre level, you have a primary health care instrument kit. 

• At the community level health care centre, you get Equipment kits, especially kit E to kit P

• Provision of proper and timely immunisation 

• Proper and essential neonatal care

• Rehydration is provided through oral Rehydration therapy 

• Vitamin A is administered for kids: for Infants under nine months, one lakh units are administered, and for kids above the age, two lakh units are administered

• An oral polio booster vaccine is given along with diphtheria pertussis tetanus booster

• To control pneumonia and acute respiratory infection in children, cotrimoxazole is given 

• To control and prevent anaemia, children are given iron formulation in tablets along with folic acid 

• Twenty milligrams of elemental iron and 100 micrograms of folic acid were given five years. For children between 6 and 10 years,30 milligrams of iron and 250 micrograms of folic acid were given 100 days.

• Making dais experienced in handling emergencies

Reproductive and child health care programme phase 2

• There are only three major areas of concern in phase 2: essential obstetric care, emergency obstetric care, and strengthening the referral system.

• Essential obstetric care includes subcategories such as institutional delivery-this is, to Increase the institutional delivery in primary health centres and community health centres by 50 per cent in the rise.

• A policy decision that includes proper usage of appropriate drugs during pregnancy to reduce maternal mortality 

• To ensure skilled attention to delivery for lower cesarean sections and normal delivery. 

• Emergency obstetric care involves safe abortion, quick referral services, safe transportation of patients, lab facilities, newborn care and child care, and family planning services. 

• To strengthen the referral system, you need the Provision of funds to smaller legislative bodies and awareness to people about institutional delivery and their influence on reducing the maternal and neonatal mortality rate. 

• Newer modalities include the internship and training of MBBS doctors to assist and conduct the delivery and improve the blood bank facilities.

Conclusion

This article briefly outlines the maternity welfare schemes advised under the reproductive and child health care programme. Both phases of this scheme proved well by reducing the maternal and neonatal mortality rates and increasing institutional delivery. Efforts towards brighter aspects of health in India are assured through this scheme.