Chennai, Tamil Nadu
The researchers of the Centre of Excellence on Virtual Reality (VR) and Haptics IIT Madras have developed VR tools that will help in combating maternal and newborn deaths. The IIT Madras researchers are working along with the National Health Mission (NHM) of Tamil Nadu to improve the newborn and maternal health and reduce the number of neonatal deaths. .
Mission Director, National Health Mission Tamil Nadu, Dr. Darez Ahamed released the ‘SmartNRP project’ IIT Madras on 19 April for rural healthcare workers to reduce Maternal Mortality Rate (NMR) in India. The researchers have identified the gaps in the skill training of the health workers, which is one of the major challenges that India has been facing, specifically at the primary health centres level. The research further added that Neonatal Resuscitation Protocol (NRP) is the global standard in first aid technique for newborn babies that are not breathing/crying.
“Using VR, Gaming Technologies, cloud, and AI/ML, the SmartNRP tool will be used for training the PHC health workers in Tamil Nadu under National Health Mission (NHM) to take the technologies forward. This will be scaled subsequently to other states in India where NMR is very high,” the institute said.
This project will be scaled subsequently to other states where MMR is very high, IIT Madras informed.
