Maharashtra Makes Reporting Of Child Deaths In Pvt Hospitals Within 24 Hrs Mandatory

The Maharashtra government has made it mandatory for all private hospitals and healthcare institutions to report deaths of children aged up to five years to public health authorities within 24 hours, officials said on Monday. The decision was announced through... The decision was announced through a government resolution (GR) issued by the Public Health Department on May 29. The order mandates that all private hospitals, maternity homes, paediatric hospitals, multi-speciality hospitals and other healthcare facilities where child deaths occur must record and report such deaths through the Civil Registration System (CRS) and the Health Management Information System (HMIS). The state has reduced its neonatal mortality rate to 11 deaths per 1,000 live births and the under-five mortality rate to 16 deaths per 1,000 live births, surpassing the national targets set for 2030. However, authorities said incomplete reporting from private healthcare institutions has resulted in gaps in mortality data. Under the new guidelines, every private healthcare institution must inform the nearest public health facility about the death of a child aged between 0 and 5 years within 24 hours using a prescribed Child Death Notification Format. The information will then be uploaded to government databases for monitoring and analysis. According to officials, comprehensive reporting will help health authorities identify risk factors, treatment delays, referral system failures, inadequate care and other shortcomings that may contribute to child deaths. Better data will also support targeted interventions and policy decisions, said Dr Kailas Baviskar, deputy director of health services, Maharashtra. Private hospitals not yet registered on the HMIS platform must obtain user credentials from district health authorities and ensure regular reporting. Public health institutions have been asked to verify data submitted by private hospitals and provide training wherever required. “Accurate and timely reporting of every child death will help us understand where the health system is failing and where corrective measures are needed. Better data will ultimately help save lives,” said Sandeep Sangale, Joint Director, State Family Welfare Bureau. The Maharashtra government has made it mandatory for all private hospitals and healthcare institutions to report deaths of children aged up to five years to public health...