Countess of Wessex, Sophie Helen Rhys-Jones visited the Gandhi Hospital here on Monday morning and spent nearly an hour at the hospital’s Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU).
The Countess, who is vice-patron of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and daughter-in-law of Queen Elizabeth II, enquired about the screening programme and treatment provided to ensure that newborns do not lose eyesight because of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP).
Speaking to mediapersons after the Countess’ visit, hospital authorities said the Trust has provided a laser machine, two CPAP machines and a few CPAP circuits used in treatment of ROP, an eye disease which can potentially cause blindness in premature babies, and supported training of doctors.
Curious Countess
Professor of paediatrics department, Dr. J.N. George said the Countess asked if the ROP screening is taken up to protect babies from avoidable blindness. She also spoke to mothers of the newborns. “She asked detailed questions about the treatment. Doctors explained the kind of changes that takes place in retina before and after treatment,” said Dr. P. Shravan Kumar, superintendent of Gandhi Hospital.
Apart from observing treatment provided to the babies, the Countess of Wessex also enquired about the number of antenatal mothers who visit the hospital and public transport facilities provided to them.
The superintendent informed her that not only patients from Telangana, but from neighbouring States such as Maharashtra and Karnataka also avail medical services at the hospital. Dr Shravan Kumar said the Countess had “good words” for the treatment provided to patients at the hospital.
The Trust has been providing support to the hospital for the past four years. This was the Countess’ final overseas tour as vice-patron ahead of the Trust’s planned closure in January 2020, as per a press release. Apart from Hyderabad, she would also visit Mumbai and Delhi between April 29 and May 3.
Later in the day, she visited the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) to see the impact of the ROP programme supported by the Trust.
Discussion at LVPEI
In 1998, Dr Subhadra Jalali, who is currently the director of the Newborn Eye Health Alliance (NEHA) at LVPEI, was pivotal in establishing advanced ROP services at the institute’s Kallam Anji Reddy Campus in the city to protect babies against blindness.
The Countess of Wessex interacted with the paediatric and ROP team of LVPEI and discussed the way forward.
Over the past 20 years, the LVPEI team has examined more than 20,900 babies and treated more than 16,100 pairs of eyes with laser techniques and surgeries.
LVPEI, through the efforts of Dr Jalali, has played role in setting up one of the first city-wide ROP programs in the neonatal care units across the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, said a press release.
Dr Tapas R. Padhi is replicating a similar program at LVPEI’s campus in Odisha, the release added.
The Trust has been supporting ROP program for Telangana and Odisha, in close collaboration with the respective State governments for the past five years.
