Neonatal care units await inauguration at Bowring

Work on critical care facilities completed two months ago

The newly constructed neonatal and paediatric intensive care units (NICU and PICU) at the Bowring and Lady Curzon Hospital in the City are awaiting inauguration by the chief minister for the past two months.

The 147-year-old hospital, the oldest healthcare facility in the Capital is located in the heart of the City and caters mainly to the residents of Shivajinagar and surrounding areas.

According to statistics, at least 20 deliveries are conducted per day in the hospital. However, the hospital lacks the healthcare facilities required for newborns.

Sources said that there had been many a fatality due to non-availability of a neo-natal intensive care unit in the hospital. “Many babies suffer from breathing problems soon after birth. They need ventilator and incubators to sustain them. Our hospital did not have such facilities,” the source said.

In the absence of critical care facilities, the babies were referred to either the Vani Vilas Hospital or the Indira Gandhi Institute of Child Health for further treatment.

Poor patients

The three-month-old Afreen, reportedly injured by her father, was also referred from Bowring Hospital to Vani Vilas Hospital for want of paediatric intensive care unit. A majority of patients visiting the Bowring Hospital belong to Below Poverty Line and lower middle class families.

Though a provision has been made for neonatals with six separate beds, a complete unit dedicated to children with 14 NICU beds and 10 PICU beds and a dedicated ward will certainly be a boon for the patients.

Exclusive staff

The government has recruited five junior resident doctors, 30 staff nurses and 10 group ‘D’ employees exclusively for these units.

Denying that the delay had been on account of the wait for the chief minister, Dr H Satish Chandra, Medical Superintendent, Bowring Hospital, said some final work was yet to be completed on the two units.

“All the medical units are just stacked up. We still need to set up the wards. The work should be complete in about three days,” he said.