Additional doctors and paramedical staff have been posted and adequate facilities have been created in all 64 neonatal care centres in the government hospitals and government medical college hospitals in the State to prevent the death of newborn babies due to preterm birth complications, according to C.N. Mahesvaran, Mission Director, National Health Mission.
Mr. Mahesvaran, who went round the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at the Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College Hospital here on Friday evening, told journalists that an adequate number of ventilators and other equipment were given to these centres. The joint directors and deputy directors of health services and the doctors and other staff attached to these units were put on alert.
ADVERTISEMENT
He said the NICU at the Mohan Kumaramangalam Hospital already had five ventilators. After the deaths of the newborn babies, 13 more ventilators were rushed to the unit. At present, 75 newborn babies were treated at the NICU, of which 15 were in a critical condition.
Replying to a question on the complaints of shortage of doctors and paramedical staff at the government hospitals, Mr. Mahesvaran said recruitment of doctors was a continuing process. The government proposed to recruit 2,200 doctors and 700 nurses shortly. With this, every hospital would get 15 more nurses.
Mr. Mahesvaran held discussions with N. Mohan, Dean, Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital; Vijayalakshmi, Joint Director of Health Services; and Jagadeesh Kumar, Deputy Director of Health Services.
ADVERTISEMENT