Washington, Apr 30 (IANS): The World Bank has approved a $117.70 million loan from the International Development Association (IDA) to India designed to improve quality of and access to health services in the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

This comes as additional financing to the Tamil Nadu Health Systems Project, which was approved on Dec 16, 2004 with an IDA credit amount of $110.83 million, the Bank announced Thursday. The new IDA credit has a 35- year maturity including a 10-year grace period.

"Tamil Nadu has made impressive progress in improving maternal and child health, and further improvements would be achieved by improvement in the overall quality of care, particularly for provision of comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care," said Preeti Kudesia, World Bank Sr. Public Health specialist and project team leader.

"The additional funding will support the continuation of successful activities, and will particularly focus on improving the quality of health care provision. The project will also enhance access to and utilization of health services by the state's poor, remote, and tribal populations."

Over the last four years, the project has helped establish 80 Comprehensive Emergency Obstetrics and Neonatal Centres throughout the state, leading to improved access and quality of care for pregnant women and infants, the Bank said.

It has also provided 385 ambulances, which have strengthened the Emergency Transport Services in rural areas in Tamil Nadu.

Health services in tribal areas of the state have also improved through mobile outreach services and supporting sickle cell anaemia screening interventions and patient counselling services.

These well-performing programmes supported by the original project that will be scaled up include state-wide expansion of non-communicable disease prevention and control activities, which are currently active in two districts in the state, the Bank said.

The additional financing will also support state-wide implementation of hospital and health management information systems, and the strengthening and monitoring of maternal and neonatal health services at the tertiary level.