A network of 7 Rural Maternity and Child Welfare Homes (RMCW homes) located at Alevoor, Kaup, Padubidri, Malpe, Udyavara, Katapadi, and Kadekar villages, provide maternal and child health services. These homes are under the direct administrative control of the department of community medicine, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal.

The centres were established by Late Dr TMA Pai, the founder of Kasturba Medical College Manipal, approximately 40 years ago with active participation of the local community, at a time when the transport and communication net work in the taluk was rudimentary. Today these centres play a substantial role in providing MCH services to the local population.

Each centre is staffed by 2 ANMs, one ayah and a sanitary worker. While one of the ANMs attends duties at the centre, the other ANM provides the domiciliary MCH care.

All these centres are connected to Kasturba Hospital by all weather roads and telephone.

The centres are equipped with a labour room, a ten bedded postnatal ward, a small laboratory and a minor OT round the clock maternity services are available at the centres. As many as 1200 deliveries are conducted in these centres every year. While most of the normal deliveries are conducted by the ANM, difficult cases are evacuated to the Kasturba Hospital by a flying squad service.

The services provided by these centres are

Weekly specialist clinics‚ are conducted by a team of doctors comprising of faculty members, postgraduates and interns from the departments of OBG, paediatrics and community medicine. The clinics provide antenatal, postnatal services and care of under-fives inclusive of growth monitoring, immunization, treatment of illness etc. Besides these, family planning services such as tubectomies and IUD insertions are carried out routinely at these centres.

Domiciliary MCH care is provided by a field ANM through systematic home visits. Family folders are maintained for every family and updated during each visit. Families are visited once a month on a predetermined schedule on a high risk basis (visiting the houses of key beneficiaries) to monitor the health status of mothers and children. We have developed a Medical Information and Evaluation System (MIES) utilizing the computer facilities available in the department.

Community based growth monitoring and immunization programmes are organised at least twice a week in the field practice area.

School health programme: School health programme is conducted twice a week by a team of medical interns, health educator, a postgraduate and a faculty member from the department of community medicine. The program consists of health appraisal of school children, health education and training of school teachers.

Referral services: Cases requiring specialist attention are referred to Kasturba Hospital, Manipal for further management.

This model of delivery of MCH services has been found to be not only cost effective but also, has been largely responsible for providing better training opportunities for undergraduates, interns and postgraduate medical students.