SAFE MOTHERHOOD INITIATIVE 2 - SIK

Color Strings System on antenatal booklet for high risk pregnancy. (only in klinik kesihatan SIK)

It is one of the innovation project done by the Maternal and Child health clinic in Sik, under the program of Safe Motherhood Initiative. Strings with different color are tie on the right upper corner of both the antenatal booklets (Antenatal record KIK/1(a)/96 and KIK/1(b)/96) , according to the problem the antenatal mother is having. However, only
Antenatal Record KIK/1(a)/96 is kept in the clinic while the KIK/1(b)/96 is another copy for the mother. There are five colors of strings represent different antenatal problems:

1. red – hypertension in pregnancy
2. black – history of birth before arrival
3. yellow – anemia in pregnancy
4. blue – heart diseases in pregnancy
5. green – diabetes in pregnancy

If there are two or more strings of different color are tied on the antenatal booklet, that means the mother has more than one antenatal problem, for example black and red strings are tied on the booklet means the mother is having hypertension and she had history of birth before arrival (BBA).

All antenatal booklets will be kept in the shelf, those color strings tie on the booklet will be easily notice and so as the antenatal problems. The clinic staffs can find the case with different antenatal problem according the string’s color faster and easier. Management of the antenatal mother can focus more on the high risk cases with strings tied, especially those tied with more than one strings will be given priority first.

The color string system strengthens the original Color Coding System (stickers of different color on the front page of antenatal booklet) because the strings system makes the searching of booklets easier and faster on the shelf.

Benefits gain after this innovation:

1. management of antenatal cases become more effective and faster.
2. priority is given accurately for high risk mother
3. antenatal case with problem can be search from the shelf easier and faster
4. more attention is given for those with multiple problem (i.e multiple strings)
5. antenatal mother will be more alert as they know what problem they are facing
6. substandard maternal care is decreased

by Teoh Jia Qing 0500038

Reference:

1. Inovasi Keibua Selamat 1998 “Sistem tali berwarna pada kad antenatal kes berisiko”, pejabat kesihatan Sik Kedah Darulaman.