This implementation will benefit the entire maternal and infant population of the 12 health facilities of the Directorate of Integrated Health Networks of Lima Norte. More than 80% of pregnant women are expected to be attended in a timely manner and approximately 5500 obstetric ultrasounds per year are expected to be performed.
During 2020, 24 cases of indirect maternal death were reported throughout the jurisdiction belonging to the Directorate of Integrated Health Networks of North Lima, which represented 30% more than in the previous year. From 2019 to the present, 758 cases of pregnant women with some obstetric risk requiring emergency ultrasound were identified and referred.
In view of this situation, within the framework of the strategic lines of action for strengthening health systems, Socios En Salud (SES) through its Maternal and Child Health Program, and in coordination with the Dirección de Redes Integradas de Salud Lima Norte (DIRIS) signed the agreement PLAN DE IMPLEMENTACIÓN DEL SERVICIO DE ECOGRAFÍA EN EL CENTRO MATERNO INFANTIL EL PROGRESO-CARABAYLLO (IMPLEMENTATION PLAN OF THE ECOGRAPHY SERVICE AT THE EL PROGRESO-CARABAYLLO MATERNAL INFANTILE CENTER). This agreement was signed by the general director of Socios En Salud Dr. Leonid Lecca and Dr. José Darwin Cuadros, general director of the Dirección de Redes Integradas De Salud Lima Norte.
This intervention seeks to strengthen the health of the mother-child binomial, guarantee ultrasound care during pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum, and strengthen the capacities of health personnel in the use of ultrasound equipment and obstetric care services to provide comprehensive care to pregnant women according to Technical Standard for Maternal Care.
Dr. Leonid Lecca emphasized the importance of strengthening health systems to ensure equity in access to health globally. “At Socios En Salud we bring the benefits of modern medical science to those who need it most, striving to ensure quality care for all. This work is achieved through strong connections with the public sector and the communities we serve. We are grateful for their collaboration and commitment to together guarantee the right to health for thousands of people,” he expressed.
It is important to highlight that the Centro Materno Infantil El Progreso is the only referral center with 24-hour availability to provide low complexity prenatal care and childbirth located in Carabayllo, considered one of the largest and most vulnerable districts in North Lima. However, since 2019 said health facility has not had an ultrasound scanner, fundamental equipment for the care of pregnant women that contributes to the timely detection of obstetric complications and avoids putting maternal and fetal well-being at risk.
”All pregnant mothers should receive an ultrasound before 14 weeks of pregnancy, in the II and III trimester as a preventive measure or in case of any risk factor that may arise. This implementation will be of great help for more than 5,000 pregnant women in the jurisdiction of North Lima,” said Carmen Livia, head of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy.
For his part, Edwin Vilca, a doctor specializing in Radiology and head of the Imaging Center of the El progreso Maternal and Child Health Center, said that the implementation of the ultrasound scanner will help to make more accurate diagnoses of diseases that occur during the perinatal period. “The ultrasound scanner allows us to provide higher quality care, make more timely decisions, which allows us to implement more appropriate treatment. Many of our patients do not have the financial resources to have an ultrasound performed privately. Now, hundreds of them will be able to access this service and avoid putting their lives and those of their babies at risk,” he emphasized.
The chief medical officer of the El progreso Maternal and Child Health Center, Luis Valverde, highlighted the humanitarian aid that Socios En Salud has been providing for 25 years in the district of Carabayllo. “We will never forget that this health facility was the first at the national level to provide MDR-TB treatment alongside Socios En Salud. We will continue working and fighting with a single objective: to provide comprehensive health care in a timely and quality manner in favor of the most vulnerable population,” he expressed.
Also, Socios En Salud, in collaboration with DIRIS LIMA NORTE will hire a radiologist or gynecologist specialized in ultrasound to ensure the operation of the ultrasound scanner.
At Partners In Health we will continue to strengthen the integral health of the mother-child binomial in order to promote actions aimed at achieving a maternity focused on timely and quality prenatal care that involves the participation of health professionals, political authorities, the family and the community. Partners In Health we are all!