Newborn Stabilization Unit (NBSU) is located within or in close proximity of the maternity wards in public health facilities. NBSU is an integral component of facility-based newborn care and plays a key role in stabilizing the sick and small new-borns born at a facility. All First Referral Units FRUs and Community Health Centers (CHCs) are required to establish a NBSU in addition to the newborn care corner.

State of Odisha has 46 NBSUs across 30 districts and Norway India partnership Initiative (NIPI) is supporting NHM, Odisha in strengthening five poor performing NBSUs in five districts. These NBSUs are CHC Kesinga, SDH Kuchinda, CHC Muniguda, Sub-district Hospital (SDH) Talcher, SDH Hindol in districts Kalahandi, Sambhalpur, Rayagada, Angul and Dhenkanal, respectively. NIPI is working closely with NHM to mentor staff posted and working in NBSUs and conducting periodic virtual orientation as well as reviews during COVID-19 pandemic. In March 2022, NIPI with other NHM officials assessed performance of various NBSUs.

It was observed that, performance of assessed NBSUs has increased substantially over a period of one year. The average number of admissions observed during assessment in March 2022 are 39 in Kesinga, 32 in Kuchinda, 22 in Talcher, 35 in Muniguda and 7 in Hindol whereas it was 9, 17, 5, 24, 3, respectively in March 2021.

In the recent mentoring cum assessment visit, NIPI team member and Child health consultant, NHM reviewed the records, oriented the nursing staff and medical officers on cases to be admitted and managed in the NBSU. Strengthening of Family Participatory Care-Kangaroo Mother Care (FPC-KMC) was discussed too. The health providers were also oriented on the new record keeping formats; except Talcher, no other NBSU was recording the progress of services on revised formats. The Medical Officer in-charges of Sub-Divisional Hospitals (SDHs) and CHCs as well as hospital mangers were briefed about gaps and were advised to address the same. As the assessed NBSUs did not have the required IEC materials such as poster, Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) videos, prescribed protocols and registers, they were provided the soft copies of the same during the assessment visit. Continued mentoring and review of the NBSUs will further accelerate their performance and save many more newborns in days to come.