Expansion of neonatal centers and intensive care units across the country is a necessity as many babies suffer from late diagnosis and treatment of health complications due to lack of the facilities.
“Accessibility, quality and affordability should be the goal of the national healthcare system,” said Dr Mohammad Hossein Soltanzadeh, scientific secretary of the fifth conference on Prevention of Maternal and Neonatal Mortality held recently. The neonatal mortality rate in Iran was 9.5 per 1000 live births in 2015.
“Currently, there are only 1,800 neonatal ICU beds in the country and 1,200 more are needed. Also, there are 160 neonatal intensive care centers across the country, of which 100 are state-run,” Mehr News Agency quoted him as saying.
A neonatal intensive care unit, also known as an intensive care nursery specializes in the care of sick newborns and premature babies.
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