Reviewer ’s report  
 
Title: Surmounting difficulties to provide home based neonatal care - reflections of community  
health workers  
 
Version: 1 Date: 09 Aug 2017  
 
Reviewer: Regina Oladokun  
 
Reviewer's report:  
 
General: Interesting, relevant.  Well justified to study in -depth the challenges and strategies 
adopted while providing HBNC services.  Wealth of lessons to be learnt from the study will help 
a scale up process.  
 
 
Title:  Appears adequate  
 
Abstract: Adeq uate 
 
 
Introduction:   
 
Line 29: "Bang et al [1].  In a landmark -----".  Delete the full stop in between to form a 
continuous sentence.  
 
 
Line 41:  Reference [3] should appear at the end of the sentence.  
 
 
Line 51:  It more usual to use the word "lessons" rather than "learning"  
 
 
Methods:  
 
Sampling:  No of Sakhis participating in In -depth interview (18) and no for FGD (21) do not add 
up to total of 35.  8 Sakhis participated in both.  Not ideal.  What is the e xplanation for using 
those same Sakhis in both the in -depth interview and FGD?  
 
 
Results:   
 
Line 12: "Are view of the data ----". Not clear.  Please correct this sentence.  
 
 
Discussion:  Well written.  
Are the methods appropriate and well described?  
If not, p lease specify what is required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Does the work include the necessary controls?  
If not, please specify which controls are required in your comments to the authors.  
 
Unable to assess  
 
Are the conclusions drawn adequately supp orted by the data shown?  
If not, please explain in your comments to the authors.  
 
Yes 
 
Are you able to assess any statistics in the manuscript or would you recommend an  
additional statistical review?  
If an additional statistical review is recommended, please  specify what aspects require further  
assessment in your comments to the editors.  
 
Not relevant to this manuscript  
 
Quality of written English  
Please indicate the quality of language in the manuscript:  
 
Needs some language corrections before being published  
 
Declaration of competing  interests  
Please complete a declaration of competing interests, considering the following questions:  
 
1. Have you in the past five years received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an  
organisation that may in any way gain or lose financially from the publication of this  
manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
2. Do you hold any stocks or shares in an organisation that may in any way gain or lose  
financially from the publication of this  manuscript, either now or in the future?  
 
3. Do you hold or are you currently applying for any patents relating to the content of the  
manuscript?  
 
4. Have you received reimbursements, fees, funding, or salary from an organization that 
holds  or has applied f or patents relating to the content of the manuscript?  
 
5. Do you have any other financial competing interests?  
 
6. Do you have any non -financial competing interests in relation to this paper?  
If you can answer no to all of the above, write 'I declare that I have no competing interests' 
below.  If your reply is yes to any, please give details below.  
 
I declare that I have no competing interests  
 
I agree to the open peer review policy of the journal. I understand that my name will be included  
on my report to the a uthors and, if the manuscript is accepted for publication, my named report  
including any attachments I upload will be posted on the website along with the authors'  
responses. I agree for my report to be made available under a n Open Access Creative Commons  
CC-BY license ( http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ ). I understand that any comments  
which I do not wish to be included in my named report can be included as confidential comments  
to the editors, which will not be published.  
 
I agree to the open peer  review policy of the journal