A 55-bed neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) was opened at the Hassan Institute of Medical Sciences (HIMS) here on Tuesday, coinciding with the occasion of Children’s Day.
With this, HIMS becomes the first government institute in the State to have an NICU with as many as 55 beds. The institute has spent ₹41 lakh from its users’ funds to upgrade the NICU, which used to have only 20 beds.
Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri, who inaugurated the centre, told reporters that the NICU’s expansion was necessary given the number of infant deaths in the district. Around 35 infants die in the district every month. “When I visited the hospital a couple of months ago, the situation in the NICU was bad. Two babies were sharing one bed. We decided to upgrade the facility at the earliest and set November 14 as the deadline. The Department of Health and Family Welfare and HIMS ensured the facility was upgraded by that deadline,” she said.
Infant mortality rate in the State stands at 22. In the Hassan, the rate is 11. “Though [our] record is better than the State average, we have to improve our position further,” the DC said.
On average, more than 200 children are admitted every month to the NICU at HIMS. As the capacity of NICU was limited to 20 babies, the hospital could not provide service to many. “In 2016, as many as 2,125 newborns were admitted to the NICU. This year, the number had crossed 2,122 by November. Considering this, the State government decided to upgrade the NICU at HIMS along with the one in a Mangaluru hospital. However, HIMS has completed this by making better use of the funds available well in advance,” Ms. Sindhuri said.
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd., which has a terminal in Hassan, has come forward to offer warmers and ventilators for HIMS at a cost of ₹50 lakh from its corporate social responsibility funds, she added. The DC also directed HIMS to set up a special ICU for pregnant women. “I hope the ICU for pregnant women will be ready by February 14.”
HIMS director B.C. Ravi Kumar, medical superintendent K. Shankar, and RCH officer H.L. Janardana were among those present.
