The Calcutta Rescue Mother and Child Health (MCH) Programme operates from our Tala Park Clinic, and is run by a Health Assistant and a fully trained volunteer midwife.

There are five main areas to the care provided by our Mother and Child Health Programme:

• Antenatal Care provides a full spectrum of checks for pregnant mothers – weight, blood pressure, urine, foetal heartbeat, health education, food and non-medical services and, if required, medicine.

• Postnatal Care provides care for both mother and child. The mother’s haemoglobin is checked, along with child nutrition instruction, further health education and family planning advice. The baby’s weight is recorded, and immunisation injections and medication given at appropriate stages. CR's post-natal care is a 6-month programme for the mother, with a three-month extension for the baby in order to guarantee full immunisation.

• Special Feeding Programmes for malnourished babies, twins, mothers unable or unwilling to breastfeed adequately or when the mother has died. This is a 6-month programme with a 3kg weight gain target for the baby within this period. Babies’ weights are checked to observe their level of malnourishment, according to the ICDS (Integrated Child Development Scheme, in line with the Road to Health Chart). Milk powder is provided up to the age of 6 months, after which patients are given dried whole foods.

• Family Planning Service: CR works closely with the Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) to help those who want to limit the size of their family, or who may find themselves with an unplanned pregnant. Our clincs supply contraception - barrier method (condoms or intrauterine device), hormones (combined pill or 3 monthly injection), or permanent sterilisation (vasectomy for males or tubal ligation for females), and can arrange abortions at state government hospital within a 20-week period free of charge.

• Specialist Health Education to ensure good practice in childcare, as well as comprehensive general health education. We use a 22 point health education programme covering different health areas and issues – Breastfeeding, Weaning Food/Nutrition, Thyroid Dysfunction, Vitamin A, Communicable Disease, Hygiene/Sanitation, Immunisation, ORS/Diarrhoea, Scabies, STD/HIV, Medicines/Inhalers, TB Health Education, Family Planning, Works, Diabetes/Heart, Thalassaemia, Leprosy/Wound Care, Bites, Eye Care, Defaulting, Epilepsy and Malaria.