The referral link between a higher-level health facility and you at the health post, is a two-way street (Figure 9.1). For this system to be fully functional, you have to know the health workers in the nearby health centre or hospital, and they should know all the HEWs at the health posts in their catchment area.

Receiving Feedback

Of course, it is not just a case of referring the mother/baby to the health facility and that is the end of it. For example, if you refer a sick mother, the health facility staff should write a note to you when the mother is discharged back to the village, giving you feedback about what happened to her while she was in their care, and giving you instructions on how to manage her health problem in the future. That way you can continue to care for the mother and newborn in the most optimum way possible.

Knowing About Local Health Facilities

To be effective in your referrals, you will need a list of all the health centres and any hospitals in your catchment area, together with information about the services each of them offers. This is so that if, for example, you deliver a very low birth weight baby, you immediately know which health facility has the right capacity, equipment and trained staff to give emergency care to very tiny babies. This information enables you to refer the mother and baby quickly to the right place.