Table 8 Medical Resources and Infrastructure for perinatal care: domains and indicators

Medicines

1. Availability of signal drugs (i.e. parenteral antibiotics, parenteral uterotonic drugs and parenteral anticonvulsants for pre-eclampsia and eclampsia)

 2. Availability of essential medicines for perinatal care in wards (as per essential drug list)

 3. Proper storage of medicines, (i.e. in a cool environment)

 4. Monthly stock taking of general medicines

 5. Weekly stock taking of dependency producing drugs (schedule 5 and above)

Medical Equipment

1. Availability of adequate numbers and functional medical equipment

 2. Availability of back up medical equipment for use while some stock has gone for repairs or servicing

 3. Availability of emergency boxes for emergency intrapartum care

 4. Availability of resuscitation trollies for emergency neonate care

Functional Theatre

1. Functional theatre 24 h, 7 days a week

 2. Availability of essential theatre drugs (as per essential drug list)

 3. Availability of functional essential theatre equipment

 4. Availability of backup theatre equipment for use while some stock has gone for repairs or servicing

 5. Availability of functional air-conditioning

 6. Availability of back-up generator

 7. Availability of the following theatre staff with respect to staff norms per shift

 a. Operating theatre nurse

 b. Enrolled nurse

Obstetric Ambulances

1. Access to obstetric ambulance on site

 2. Waiting time for obstetric ambulance to transfer patient to regional hospital less than one hour

 3. Availability of functional obstetric ambulance equipment

 4. Availability of skilled birth attendant during transit

 5. Availability of essential medicines for intrapartum care during transit

Mothers’ waiting homes

(for rural hospitals)

1. Availability of mothers waiting homes on site

 2. Guidelines for admission to waiting homes followed

 3. Adequate utilization of mothers’ waiting homes

Infrastructure

1. Location of maternity ward and neonate high care unit in close proximity to each other

 2. Availability of necessary power points to connect equipment for perinatal care (i.e. suction points and oxygen points.)

 3. Availability of Kangaroo Mother Care ward