Ten days after a newborn baby girl died of preterm birth compilations at the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital, Health Minister C. Vijayabaskar and Minister for Highways and Minor Ports Edappadi K. Palaniswami, along with officials, inspected the facilities at the hospital here on Saturday.
The Ministers inspected the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), intensive care medical unit and medical distribution to allay the fears of parents and the public.
They interacted with the mothers about the treatment being provided.
They also held discussions with duty doctors.
Vellore Special Correspondent reports:Talking to reporters after inspecting the NICU at the Government Vellore Medical College Hospital (GVMCH) in Adukkamparai near here on Friday night, Mr. Vijayabaskar said several newborn babies, which were in a critical condition during birth, were saved following treatment given to them in the NICUs and the newborn stabilisation units functioning in various government medical college hospitals and district and taluk headquarters. He said that only newborn babies who were in a critical condition during birth were admitted to the NICUs. Even newborn babies which had complications such as umbilical cord strangulation and low birth weight (LBW), and preterm LBW babies had been saved through specialised treatment at the NICUs. LBW babies with other complications too were saved. Deaths occurred only in a few cases where LBW babies born with complications were admitted late to the NICUs.
As many as 64 NICUs and 114 newborn stabilisation units were functioning in the government medical college hospitals and district and taluk headquarters hospitals.
J. Radhakrishnan, Health Secretary, said the infant mortality rate in Vellore district was 13.5 per 1,000 newborn babies about six months ago. It has now been reduced to 9 per 1,000 against an IMR of 21 in Tamil Nadu and 41 in India.
