Steven Raheb, MD spent several years practicing obstetrics before teaching health and biology at Quinebaug Valley Community College. Outside of his extensive career in medicine, Dr. Steven Raheb is also a member of Rotary International, an organization comprised of 35,000 plus clubs devoted to helping people in various areas, including saving mothers and children.
In Mongolia, for example, a project taken on by Rotary International has translated into changing childbirth practices in the region. The project started after Julie Dockrill was asked to use her 20 years of experience as a midwife and childbirth educator to help women improve childbirth practices.
Ms. Dockrill was approached after fellow member Gary Dennison, set out on a project to provide the region a way to source cleaner water and discovered that childbirth practices needed improvement. From this discovery, a four-phase plan that includes Ms. Dockrill was established.
While infant mortality rates in Mongolia were falling, the rate was still surprising. Many of the issues contributing to infant mortality (respiratory distress, congenital defects, and asphyxia) stemmed from poor prenatal care. Topics covered in the first session included breastfeeding, nutrition, exercise, smoking, and contraception.
In 2015, the project's second phase involved another midwife, Amarjargal Luvsandagva, shadowing Ms. Dockrill. During the visit to a New Zealand hospital, Ms. Luvsandagva learned pre-and post-natal practices and participated in training and seminars around the world and then sharing her knowledge with others.
The project's third phase involved returning to the region with updated materials and training an additional 300 healthcare workers. This training occurred over three days where obstetricians and physicians in other fields were given childbirth education and a one-day emergency skills clinic. Finally, the fourth phase taught these same skills to healthcare workers in hard-to-reach and rural areas.
The project was a success in that it contributed to the government's success in reducing infant mortality to 15 in 1,000 births. The latest figures reveal that this number is closer to 13.5 in 1,000 births.
