MSG consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Dr Kalaivani Ramalingam took a week of personal annual leave this year to facilitate a course dedicated to tissue protection and training for surgical repairs after childbirth in south India.
She focused on smaller towns away from the main cities, with hands-on practice and demonstrations using animal tissue.
Improving safety in childbirth has long been a passion of Kalaivani, who has created a series of courses to educate and train midwives, obstetricians, lower gastrointestinal surgeons and urologists about preventing and repairing complicated childbirth-related tears.
The training aligns with suture training that Kalaivani already provides to local midwives.
The first course launched in this month to align with the Millennium Development Goals of improving maternal health and empowering women’s healthcare providers.
Kalaivani said: “Giving birth can be an incredibly overwhelming experience, and complications are not uncommon, particularly in places around the world where access to a high standard of healthcare is limited. Ensuring that medical professionals are trained in areas such as protecting tissue and surgical repairs after childbirth can help the experience of childbirth and post-natal recovery go smoothly.
“It was great to share my expertise with obstetrics teams in south India and hope this results in many more positive birthing experiences for people across the region.”
