It is estimated that approximately 46% maternal deaths, over 40% stillbirths and 40% newborn deaths take place on the day of the delivery itself. A transformational change in the processes related to delivery is required to achieve tangible results. Intervention is required during intrapartum and immediate postpartum period, so preventable death may be reduced in place where birth take place that is Labour room & Maternity OT. To ensure Quality of Care during intrapartum & immediate post-partum period in healthcare facility, MoHFW has launched Labour room Quality Improvement initiative named as LaQshya.

LaQshya was launched with the objective of reduction in the maternal and newborn mortality & morbidity due to occurrence of complication during and immediately after delivery, to improve Quality of Care during the delivery and immediate post-partum care, stabilization of complications and ensure timely referrals, and enable an effective two-way follow-up system to enhance satisfaction of beneficiaries visiting the health facilities and provide Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) to all pregnant women attending the public health facility. It is programmed to benefit every pregnant woman and newborn delivering in public health institutions.

Under the initiative, a multi-layered strategy has been framed such as concrete steps for infrastructure advancement, ensuring availability of essential equipment, providing adequate human resources, capacity building of health care workers and improving quality processes in the labour room. The NQAS (National Quality Assurance Standards) will monitor quality improvement in labour room and maternity OT. The LaQshya program is being implemented at all Medical College Hospitals, District Hospitals, First Referral Unit (FRU), and Community Health Center (CHCs) and will benefit every pregnant woman and new-born delivering in public health institutions.