TİKA supports Mexico in maternal and infant health

Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) set up a neonatal intensive care unit at the Tijuana General Hospital, which operates under the National System for Integral Family Development (DIF) in Baja California, Mexico.

Located on the US border as a transit point for a number of illegal activities such as illegal immigration and drug trafficking, the city of Tijuana faces certain problems while providing fundamental public services such as education and health due to high organized crime rates. Approximately 8,500 childbirths occur in the hospital, which provides services for the low-income, fragile and disadvantaged groups of the city. 450 of these childbirths require intensive care and ventilatory support.

Taking action in line with the request of the Tijuana General Hospital, TİKA set up an intensive care unit in order to fight against the complications that newborns with perinatal asphyxia (medical condition resulting from deprivation of oxygen to a newborn infant due to the inadequate oxygenation of maternal blood) face. As part of the installment of the said unit, a nasal CPAP system (nasal continuous positive airway pressure device that provides respiratory support for premature babies with respiratory problems) and other relevant medical equipment (oxygen blender, respiratory humidification device etc.) were provided. The neonatal intensive care unit will play a vital role in decreasing the infant mortality rate due to perinatal asphyxia and preventing a number of mental and physical disorders by avoiding possible postnatal complications.

Turkey’s Honorary Consul to Tijuana Özgür Kurt, who contributed into the project with his support and efforts, thanked Turkey and TİKA during his speech at the inauguration ceremony due to their support in the project. He added that an urgent need was fulfilled within the field of maternal and infant health thanks to this project.