BEST PRACTICES OF THE UNIVERSITY
Best Practice 1
Title of the Practice - Santosh Matr Shishu Kalyan Yojana - A Maternal and Neonatal Care Initiative
Objectives of the Practice

Maternal and child health is a critical indicator of the health sector's performance and a major focus for the Government of India, which aims for "Zero Preventable Maternal and Newborn Deaths" and high-quality maternity care delivered with dignity and respect. Despite these goals, neonatal mortality and morbidity remain significant concerns in Uttar Pradesh, where the neonatal mortality rate is 30 per 1,000 live births, surpassing the national average of 20 per 1,000 live births. To improve maternal and neonatal outcomes, the government has mandated 100 percent institutional deliveries. However, Level 3, neonatal care and handling complicated deliveries remain unaffordable for the economically weaker sections. Many such complicated pregnancies are referred to tertiary care hospitals by state-run district hospitals in Ghaziabad.

In response, Santosh Hospital has adopted a practice of offering free antenatal care, delivery, and neonatal care with the following objectives:

• To provide assured, dignified, respectful, and quality tertiary healthcare at no cost for every woman and newborn, aiming to end all preventable maternal and newborn deaths and morbidities and provide a positive birthing experience.
• To cater to economically weaker patients requiring tertiary care for mothers and neonates, who have been referred by government facilities. Ghaziabad has many such antenatal patients needing referral to tertiary care hospitals, but they are unable to afford the treatment.
• To support the National goal of reducing neonatal and maternal mortality and morbidity by fostering affordable tertiary care for expectant mothers and neonates, thereby contributing to nation-building and achieving sustainable development goals.
• To offer hands-on experience for skill training and research opportunities, contributing to the holistic development of students.

The Context

• High Moratality rates- Despite progress, maternal and neonatal mortality rates remain high in many hospitals
• Need for affordable care- Many women and babies die from preventable complications that could be treated with simple and affordable solutions
• Quality care – women and babies deserve access to high quality care including skilled doctors and antenatal and postnatal care.

Acceptability of Care
The Practice
To benefit the Ghaziabad community, Santosh Hospital launched the "Santosh Hospital Maternal and Neonatal Care initiative" in 2022 and christened it as Santosh Matr Shishu kalyan Yojna. This scheme offers state-of-the-art tertiary-level obstetric and neonatal care, free of cost to the underprivileged community. Free services include antenatal checkups, medications, and investigations. Antenatal patients are admitted during labor, and obstetric care is provided free of cost, irrespective of the delivery mode—normal vaginal, forceps, or LSCS, based on the case's merit. Supportive care and intensive care facilities are also provided free of charge.

Routine neonatal care is offered to stable newborns, while Level 2 or 3 care is provided to unstable neonates. Neonatal services such as open warmer care, phototherapy, exchange transfusion, and both non-invasive and invasive ventilation are offered completely free, covering medications, investigations, and consumables.

The practice is facilitated by ASHA workers, social workers, and community health workers who ensure timely referral of expectant mothers for better maternal and neonatal outcomes. The initiative is widely publicized through newspapers and hoardings.

Evidence of Success
Since the inception of scheme in July 2022 the number of vaginal and LSCS deliveries have been increasing at a phenomenal rate from 529 in 1st 6 months in 2022 to 1537 in next 6 months after scheme was launched ( 290 % increase ) , Institution had 3574 beneficiaries in 2023 ( further increase of 172 % over 2022 ) 4452 beneficiaries ( further increase by 124 % over 2023 ) . A total of 9563 mothers have benefited from the scheme till December 2024.
The NICU admissions increased from 426 in 2022 to more than 1200 in 2023 and 2024 ( 355 % increase ).
Babies requiring ventilatory support also increased from 10 % to 23 % signifying the complex cases that are being attended by our doctors.
There has been no mortality in the mothers . However in the neonates an improved survival with mortality less than 1% was appreciable.
Financial ISR commitment of institute to the project as Institutional social responsibility exceeded 1 crore, with increased workload and cross-referrals enhancing teaching and training facilities. All complicated cases are referred to our hospital, providing opportunities to achieve expertise.

Problems Encountered and Resources Required
Financial constraints are the major obstacle, as tertiary care for both mothers and neonates are expensive. Additionally, the extra manpower required for the increased workload adds to the running costs.

How were they overcome
A separate fund was allocated from the University under the university ISR Head to fund this Philanthropic activity thereby overcoming the challenge of finances.

Best Practice 2
Title of the Practice - Digital Transformation of Education
Objectives of the Practice

• Enhance Educational Delivery: Integration of technology to improve teaching methodologies and deliver more interactive and engaging learning experiences.
• Increase Accessibility: Ensure that educational resources are accessible overcoming all barriers
• Foster Innovation and Research: Digital tools to support innovative research methods and facilitate collaboration among researchers and students.
• Improve Administrative Efficiency: Streamline administrative processes to allow more focus on education and student support.

The Context
Santosh University focus on healthcare education recognizes the need to adapt to the digital age to remain competitive and effective. Facing challenges such as increased demand for online learning options the need to update traditional curriculums and the drive to support diverse student needs the university embarked on a digital transformation journey.

The Practice

• Teaching Learning and Curriculum Enhancement: The University digitalized portions of the curriculum using CANVAS, e-learning platforms and simulation tools. Students are taught ethical use of AI for education and research. Blended learning models were introduced combining online lectures with hands-on practical sessions. Assessment process is also digitalized.
• Professional Development: Faculty members participated in workshops and training sessions focused on digital tools and teaching methods ensuring seamless integration of technology into the classroom.
• Infrastructure Development: Investments were made for high-speed internet infrastructure, cloud-based services and digital libraries to support the increased digital load and ensure resources are available.
• Student Support Systems: ERP was developed providing students continuous access.

Evidence of Success

• Improved Student Engagement and Performance: Surveys indicated increased student satisfaction and engagement with notable improvements in academic performance metrics.
• Research Output: The integration of digital tools facilitated greater collaboration in research projects resulting in publication of research papers and research citations.
• Administrative Improvements: Streamlined processes leading to a significant reduction in administrative tasks time, directing more resources to student-centered services.

Problems Encountered

• Resistance to Change: Some faculty and students were initially resistant to moving away from traditional teaching methods.
• Resource Allocation: The initial cost of infrastructure and technology posed a challenge requiring strategic budget allocation.

Resources Required

• Technological Investments: Investments in computing infrastructure, software licenses and digital content creation tools.
• Training Programs: Continuous professional development programs to upskill faculty and administrative staff.
• IT Support Services: Robust IT support team to handle technical issues and provide ongoing support and maintenance.

By aligning these practices with the objectives Santosh Deemed to be University aims to set a benchmark in digital transformation within the educational sector, equipping students and faculty with the necessary tools to thrive in a digital world.