A national programme to strengthen neonatal nursing capacity in India has been launched with the Neonatal Critical Care Nursing Training Initiative. The initiative aims to train 1,500 nurses through a blended online and offline model and has been formally inaugurated at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad. The programme is a collaboration between KEDMAN SkillEd India Foundation, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, Amrita Hospital, Getinge Medical India under its CSR mandate, and Business Sweden, supporting Indo–Swedish cooperation in healthcare.
India’s Neonatal Mortality Rate (NMR) stands at 19 per 1,000 live births, according to the Sample Registration System (2021), compared with the Sustainable Development Goal target of 12 per 1,000 by 2030. Outcomes vary across states, with Kerala and Tamil Nadu reporting single-digit NMR while Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Chhattisgarh continue to report higher mortality.
According to evidence cited, strengthened neonatal nursing capabilities can reduce mortality by 15 per cent to over 50 per cent depending on the context. Nursing-led interventions are described as one of the most cost-effective strategies for improving newborn outcomes. However, many nurses currently enter NICUs without competency-based training or structured mentorship, resulting in inconsistent care quality.
KEDMAN SkillEd India has developed the programme end-to-end with clinical expertise from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. The programme includes structured neonatal critical care training supported by digital content, LMS delivery, simulation-based skill building, and case-based specialist sessions. Twelve medically validated training modules have been developed by neonatologists at Amrita Hospital, Faridabad. The training is supported by AI-enabled proctored assessments, competency certification and residential immersion for top performers.
Speaking at the inauguration, Aruna Nayak, Managing Director, Getinge Medical India, said, “Getinge is proud to support this initiative under our CSR mandate. Building critical care capacity is central to our commitment towards India’s healthcare ecosystem.”
Swami Nijamritananda Puri, Administrative Director, Amrita Hospital–Faridabad, stated, “Every newborn life is precious, and empowering nurses with advanced skills is one of the greatest contributions we can make to society. When clinical excellence, technology and a spirit of service combine, the impact reaches far beyond hospital walls.”
Dr Sanjeev K. Singh, Medical Director, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, said, “This initiative brings structure, scientific rigour and national consistency to neonatal nursing. The blended model ensures nurses not only learn concepts but apply them confidently in real clinical settings.”
Rajiv Mathur, CEO, KEDMAN Skilling Private Limited, added, “With Kunskapsskolan Sweden as our promoter, Manav Rachna’s academic ecosystem and Amrita’s clinical expertise, we are creating a national benchmark for healthcare skilling. KEDMAN’s digital content development and implementation capability will enable scale across India.”
India is estimated to require more than 100,000 specialised neonatal nurses in the next decade, along with an additional 650,000 nurses to meet WHO workforce standards.
The initiative is positioned as an example of how international educational approaches, clinical collaboration and CSR-linked partnerships can support India’s SDG 2030 goals.