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Enhancing rural healthcare by managing
postpartum hemorrhage through regular monitoring, risk reduction, and timely intervention
Managing postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) in rural India by deploying mobile health units equipped with essential maternal care resources and dedicated healthcare personnel. These units provide continuous maternal monitoring, timely interventions, and risk reduction strategies. By training traditional birth attendants and local mothers, the initiative fosters a self-sustaining community approach to maternal healthcare.
Research methods used
Secondary Research
Postpartum hemorrhage (PPH) is clinically defined as blood loss exceeding 500–1000 ml after childbirth. For severely anemic women, even 200–250 ml of blood loss can be life-threatening. PPH is classified into two types: Early PPH, occurring within 24 hours of delivery, and Late PPH, occurring between 24 hours and six weeks postpartum.
Focus Groups | Surveys & Questionnaires | Ethnographic Research | Journey Mapping
Ideation Sketches
Postpartum bleeding is the speediest maternal killers, a lady can seep to death inside 2-3 hours if right treatment isn't given at the correct time.
Every year about 14 million women around the world suffer from PPH.
How severe is PPH?
First delay: Deciding to seek appropriate medical help for obstetric emergency.
Second delay: Reaching an appropriate obstetric facility.
Third delay: Receiving adequate care when a facility is reached.
Cultural norms, customs, and limited education, combined with restricted decision-making power, hinder access to proper pregnancy and childbirth care. Many villages lack well-equipped healthcare centers nearby, forcing referrals to distant facilities. Without adequate transportation, these delays become a significant contributor to maternal mortality.
Every year, 53 million women in developing countries give birth at home or in poorly equipped rural facilities, often without skilled medical assistance.
Participant Pool:
Gynaecologists
ANM & ASHA workers
Daima (Rural midwife)
Researchers from NGOs
Senior doctors working at NGOs
Residents interning in rural areas
"Most women die as there is no proper blood transfusion facility and tracking available."
- Rural Gynaecologist
"The main problem is of patients hesitating and not reaching the hospitals on time to avail proper treatment. The family members also hesitate to donate blood as there is fear and lack of awareness regarding the whole topic"
- Dr Paunami Devi (Gynaecologist)
"PPH cases are first referred to the Primary Healthcare centres (PHCs) and if it doesn't get solved there, patients are moved to the district hospitals"
- Auxiliary Nurse Midwife
Current scenario of rural healthcare system
Primary Research
Mapping the system
Gaps Identified
Unwillingness of patients & their families to visit healthcare facilities due to geographical & socio-economic reasons.
Lack of well equipped and accessible healthcare facilities & well trained staff to handle PPH in remote villages.
Lack of cost effective PPH management methods & lack of awareness about existing methods & protocols to deal with PPH.
Lack of timely communication between various stakeholders & facilities involved. Poor referral system.
Our aim is to create a portable prenatal checkup as well as a labor room, with effective network system between the local facilities such as the ASHA workers, Daima and the healthcare authorities such as a trained gynaecologist; that timely help reaches at the time of emergencies.
From our research, we found out that the villagers mostly trusted the Daimas, so we made sure to include even the local helping hands in the system designed. To ensure a safe delivery, the service also aims to train the local Daimas and keep them updated about the safe delivery methods.
Designing a fully equipped mobile health unit to deliver maternal healthcare in rural areas.
Blood group data collection & matching for emergency situations.
Developing a common platform for data collection and training.
Service outcome at the end of this research
