<p>City’s government hospitals do not have intensive care or advanced respiratory support for children, except for single-specialty hospitals like Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health and Vani Vilas Hospital.</p>.<p>While some like KC General Hospital in Malleswaram boast of 38 general paediatric beds and 12 newborn beds, they do not have a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) that ideally needs to be equipped with invasive and non-invasive ventilators, CPAP machines, multipara monitors, pulse oximeters, infusion pumps and T-piece resuscitators.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/karnataka-govt-sets-up-13-member-panel-to-tackle-third-covid-wave-990439.html" target="_blank">Karnataka govt sets up 13-member panel to tackle third Covid wave</a></strong></p>.<p>The situation is similar in Jayanagar General and CV Raman General, which leaves fewer options for the poor. “Except Bowring, Vani Vilas and Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, no other government hospital has a paediatric ICU,” said Dr Lakshmipathy S R, head of paediatrics at KC General.</p>.<p>Though the hospital is planning to set up a PICU, they need disposables, ventilators, both non-invasive and invasive and non-rebreather masks. “We need to procure them in larger numbers to handle a surge in paediatric Covid cases."</p>.<p>While the hospital can provide oxygen, it is not equipped to provide advanced respiratory support. It also requires specialists for intensive care. Currently, 10 non-Covid children with respiratory illnesses and pneumonia are undergoing treatment at the hospital.</p>.<p>The Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) at CV Raman has not been used for a year. Medical Superintendent Dr H D R Radhakrishna said the SNCU cannot function independent of a maternal care unit, which currently does not exist at the hospital. “We have 40 general beds for children and three paediatricians, besides 12 beds in SNCU. They have not been commissioned for more than a year due to Covid."</p>.<p>“We have no paediatric ICU though. We have had no paediatric admissions in the general beds. Since ours is a Covid-only hospital, the SNCU hasn’t been used. Since Gosha and Vani Vilas are catering to sick mothers, no sick mother is being sent here (to CV Raman),” Dr Radhakrishna said.</p>.<p>The hospital requires highly qualified nurses at the SNCU who can put a catheter on a one-month-old baby, which is not the same as handling an adult. “They need experience. I cannot work with those who have worked in the general ward. It is a specialised job."</p>.<p>Jayanagar General Hospital medical superintendent Dr Ramakrishnappa admitted that the facility does not have PICU. “We have procured five ventilators and will soon set up a five-bedded ICU."</p>
<p>City’s government hospitals do not have intensive care or advanced respiratory support for children, except for single-specialty hospitals like Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health and Vani Vilas Hospital.</p>.<p>While some like KC General Hospital in Malleswaram boast of 38 general paediatric beds and 12 newborn beds, they do not have a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) that ideally needs to be equipped with invasive and non-invasive ventilators, CPAP machines, multipara monitors, pulse oximeters, infusion pumps and T-piece resuscitators.</p>.<p><strong>Read | <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/state/top-karnataka-stories/karnataka-govt-sets-up-13-member-panel-to-tackle-third-covid-wave-990439.html" target="_blank">Karnataka govt sets up 13-member panel to tackle third Covid wave</a></strong></p>.<p>The situation is similar in Jayanagar General and CV Raman General, which leaves fewer options for the poor. “Except Bowring, Vani Vilas and Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health, no other government hospital has a paediatric ICU,” said Dr Lakshmipathy S R, head of paediatrics at KC General.</p>.<p>Though the hospital is planning to set up a PICU, they need disposables, ventilators, both non-invasive and invasive and non-rebreather masks. “We need to procure them in larger numbers to handle a surge in paediatric Covid cases."</p>.<p>While the hospital can provide oxygen, it is not equipped to provide advanced respiratory support. It also requires specialists for intensive care. Currently, 10 non-Covid children with respiratory illnesses and pneumonia are undergoing treatment at the hospital.</p>.<p>The Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) at CV Raman has not been used for a year. Medical Superintendent Dr H D R Radhakrishna said the SNCU cannot function independent of a maternal care unit, which currently does not exist at the hospital. “We have 40 general beds for children and three paediatricians, besides 12 beds in SNCU. They have not been commissioned for more than a year due to Covid."</p>.<p>“We have no paediatric ICU though. We have had no paediatric admissions in the general beds. Since ours is a Covid-only hospital, the SNCU hasn’t been used. Since Gosha and Vani Vilas are catering to sick mothers, no sick mother is being sent here (to CV Raman),” Dr Radhakrishna said.</p>.<p>The hospital requires highly qualified nurses at the SNCU who can put a catheter on a one-month-old baby, which is not the same as handling an adult. “They need experience. I cannot work with those who have worked in the general ward. It is a specialised job."</p>.<p>Jayanagar General Hospital medical superintendent Dr Ramakrishnappa admitted that the facility does not have PICU. “We have procured five ventilators and will soon set up a five-bedded ICU."</p>
