Neonatal care during a residents' strike

Medical officers from a primary health centre and rural hospital were posted at our neonatal care unit during the residents' strike that lasted 69 days. They were trained in labour room care and in special care of high-risk babies. Four weeks later they were to be first-on-call. During the pre-strike, strike and post-strike period, there was no significant difference in the number of high-risk deliveries and admissions and deaths at the special care unit (SCU). The low-tech neonatal care that we followed, can be practised at the first referral centre in rural areas of developing countries by the team led by a medical officer.