DMCH’s new initiatives in paediatric, neonatal care
Dayanand Medical College and Hospital has come up with new initiatives in pediatric and neonatal care.
These initiatives include the launch of the Kawasaki Disease Clinic and Parenting Gurukul Clinic, the installation of state-of-the-art equipment such as Portable Otoacoustic Emissions (OAE) for newborn hearing screening, Giraffe Hybrid Incubator and Radiant Warmer, Amplitude EEG newborns with asphyxia and seizures, a servo-controlled therapeutic hypothermia system at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Punjab’s first intrauterine blood transfusion to treat fetal anemia.
Puneet A Pooni, Professor and Head Department of Pediatrics said that, the Kawasaki Disease Clinic will be held every second Saturday from 1st June at the Pediatric OPD, focusing on the early diagnosis and management of Kawasaki Disease—a leading cause of heart disease in children. Kawasaki disease is a rare condition characterized by fever and inflamed blood vessels in children under five. Prompt treatment is important for a good prognosis. The risk is greatest when Kawasaki disease affects the arteries that supply blood to your child’s heart.
The clinic is designed to ensure timely detection, standardized treatment and prevention of serious coronary artery complications. /”Early recognition of Kawasaki Disease is critical,/” says Dr. Puneet A Pooni. /”If treated within the first 10 days using IV IgG, we can significantly reduce the risk of long-term heart damage. Our goal is to ensure no child suffers due to delayed diagnosis,” she said.
Starting from 1st August, the Parenting Gurukul Clinic, scheduled Wednesday to Saturday from 2:00 to 4:00 PM, supports parents with evidence-based strategies to raise emotionally healthy and responsible children. The clinic provides guidance on managing behavioural issues, screen time, discipline, and emotional regulation. Further Dr. Pooni said that Poor parenting is a root cause behind many emotional disturbances and even criminal behaviours in adolescents and adults. Through this clinic, we aim to prevent long term behavioural and social issues, said Dr Pooni.
Dr G.S. Wander, Principal, DMC&H, said that introducing such cutting-edge technology exemplifies their vision to integrate science and compassion in patient care. /”We performed the state’s first intrauterine blood transfusion on a 34-year-old pregnant woman whose fetus was diagnosed with severe anemia through advanced imaging and Doppler ultrasound studies. Intrauterine blood transfusion (IUT) is a procedure where blood is given to a fetus to treat anemia or other conditions. It’s typically done by injecting blood into the umbilical vein of the fetus, guided by ultrasound. IUT is often necessary when a fetus has low red blood cell count,/” said Dr Wander.
Meanwhile DMC&H has also set a new benchmark in neonatal care by becoming the first hospital in Punjab to install a servo-controlled therapeutic hypothermia system in its Level 3 Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This advanced technology provides targeted cooling for newborns suffering from Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)—a serious birth complication due to reduced oxygen supply to the brain—and significantly reduces the risk of long-term neurological damage such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and developmental delays.
