Childcare remains in infancy across state

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 13

The state government claims to have put an emphasis on better child and mother care, but a survey of five major hospitals of the state presents a picture of contrast. The possibility of a Gorakhpur-like tragedy can’t be ruled out.

If somewhere there is a lack of proper oxygen system, in others there is a shortage of nurses. It is common to find shortage of pediatricians in all hospitals. In the name of “referring”, parents of newborn and sick children keep shuttling from one place to another.

Patiala: No lessons learnt from past mistakes

In 2009, six infants were charred to death at Government Rajindra Hospital incubators, while four others were critically injured in a fire that broke out due to electric short circuit at the phototherapy unit of the hospital, but that doesn’t seem to have brought much change. Even as a neonatal intensive care unit and a paediatrics intensive care unit has been set up in the hospital, parents can’t rely on these in times of emergency.

Dr Jasvir Singh, head of paediatrics department, admitted that they had the equipment, but it was not fully operational due to lack of proper oxygen system in the hospital. There is no intensive care facility for children. Many basic things, including neonatal ventilators, paediatrics ventilators and pulse oximeters are either missing or lying defunct in these units following which more than 50 per cent critical cases are referred to the PGI, Chandigarh, or private hospitals.

Amritsar: Diagnostic facility unavailable

A plethora of problems plagues Bebe Nanki Mother and Child Care Centre of Government Medical College in the holy city. The parents of children coming to the centre have to take them to private labs even for the basic tests.

The tests for sodium, potassium, calcium, CBC and others are not usually conducted at the centre. Even the machine for conducting trans-bilirubin test is lying dysfunctional. Though the hospital authorities claim otherwise, the presence of a large number of agents of private labs at the entrance of the centre belie their claim. Besides, post-graduate students hold the fort at the centre as no senior doctors are available after 2 pm.

Ludhiana: Inadequate staff to handle equipment

A visit to the Mother and Child Hospital on the premises of the Civil Hospital revealed that although infrastructure and machinery are available, a shortage of staff has crippled its functioning. Children requiring intensive care are either referred to the PGI or Rajindra Hospital, Patiala. As per norms, a nurse should be available for every newborn baby, but in reality, a single nurse is taking care of more than three babies at a given time. The other major problem is the non-availability of doctors.

Jalandhar: Six specialists needed, two available

Every month around 400-700 children are born at the Jalandhar’s Civil Hospital. But it is ill-equipped to deal with the patient load. There are just two child specialists against the requirement of six. Most parents complain of a delayed response to their repeated calls during emergencies. Besides, the hospital doesn’t have a single ventilator in the newborn baby care unit. As per the staff, a subsidiary C-pipe ventilator alternative is used in time of emergencies. Dr Vijender Singh, medical officer, said a demand regarding ventilators had already been raised.

Bathinda: Services hit by lack of paramedics

While nurses are crucial to childcare, Bathinda’s Civil Hospital which caters to several districts of the Malwa region struggles with inadequate staff. A query reveals that the hospital doesn’t have enough trained nurses to take care of prematurely born and sick babies. Untrained nursing students are thus making up for the staff shortage. The hospital has 17 nursing staff against 32 posts. At the childcare unit, out of 10 sanctioned posts, there are only five nurses who work in three shifts. Since no ventilator is available for newborn babies, emergency patients are referred to Government Medical College, Faridkot.

(Inputs by Gagan K Teja, Manmeet Singh Gill, Manav Mander, Aparna Banerji and Sukhmeet Bhasin)