The Neo cradle Scheme: Leveraging Public-Private Partnerships to Maintain Single-Digit Mortality among Neonates in Kerala
Keywords:
Neo cradle system, PPP, KerelaAbstract
Kerala has consistently recorded the lowest Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) in the country, with the most recent Sample Registration System (SRS) data showing a figure of 5 per 1,000 live births. However, further reducing this rate faces a major challenge: overcrowding in public sector Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). High-risk neonates who require advanced treatments such as mechanical ventilation often encounter referral difficulties when government medical college NICU beds are unavailable. To bypass this logistical limitation, the Government of Kerala has introduced a program called the "Neo cradle" scheme in 20241.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Kajal Srivastava, Dr. Akhil R Nair
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
