PGI Advanced Paediatric Centre bursting at seams

Tribune News Service

Naina Mishra

Chandigarh, January 21

In the heart of the Advanced Paediatric Centre’s (APC) emergency wing — the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) — four or five newborn babies (barely 28 days old) share a single ventilator, which reflects the overwhelming 300% occupancy rate.

Beds are often crammed with patients seeking urgent medical attention. The room, which houses eight life-support equipment, has over 40 newborn babies.

There is always a risk of infection getting passed on from one child to another. There is not even ample space on the bed for a newborn baby to move, shared a nursing officer posted in NICU, which takes care of kids aged one month. Pointing at a 20-day-old baby boy, she said, “This child is suffering from pneumonia and now, there is a risk of the infection getting passed on to the other babies. We can try our best to save their lives.”

Despite a sanctioned bed strength of 22, the unit routinely accommodates, at least, four patients per bed due to the high demand.

In 2022-23, the emergency wing of the APC saw over 8,000 admissions. The department has also been grappling with referrals from public sector hospitals of the nearby states, which adds to the rush of children requiring treatment.

Meanwhile, the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) faces its own challenges such as dealing with a daily bed utilisation rate of 100%, with more than two-thirds of admissions requiring vital ventilation support. There are around eight patients on the waiting list for critically ill patients to be transferred to PICU at any given time. This unit takes care of children aged from four weeks to 18 years.

At the triage area, the parents of those on the waiting list are given ambu bag to maintain adequate ventilation to patients who are having difficulty in breathing. The parents have no choice but to wait for their child’s transfer to a ventilator.

Bimla Devi, mother of a critically ill child, said, “It’s heartbreaking to see our kids struggling while sharing equipment meant for one patient. The staff are doing their best, but it’s obvious they’re stretched beyond capacity.”

A senior resident doctor posted at the emergency wing shares, “We’re working tirelessly, but the sheer number of patients is staggering. It’s not uncommon to have to make tough decisions about prioritising care due to the limited resources available. The emergency wing sees referrals from all quarters and we have to accommodate all patients whether we have adequate capacity.”

The emergency wing, which has seen more than fourfold increase in patient visits over the years, is grappling with patients spending extended periods. Over 50% patients remain in the department for more than 72 hours – well beyond the time required for their initial stabilisation and acute care. Doctors are working for more than 18 hours to keep the emergency wing going. There is also a shortage of nursing staff as each nurse has to look after, at least, 40 kids during the duty hours.

Situation similar everywhere

This problem has been persisting for over a decade and there is nothing we can do. This is an institutional problem and the situation is similar everywhere. — Dr Surjit Singh, Head of APC

It’s heartbreaking to see kids in such state

It’s heartbreaking to see our kids struggling while sharing equipment meant for one patient. The staff are doing their best, but it’s obvious they’re stretched beyond capacity. — Bimla Devi, patient’s mother

Centre saw 8,000 admissions in 2022-23

• Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, which houses eight life-support equipment, has over 40 newborn babies
• There is always a risk of infection getting passed on to other kids
• In 2022-23, the APC emergency saw over 8,000 admissions

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