Expert care on cards

Jamshedpur, Dec. 1: Here’s good news for expecting mothers: the state’s first sick care unit for newborns will soon be delivered in Ghatshila.

According to Unicef officials, 48 of 1,000 newborns die within 24 hours of delivery in the state. Reason: absence of well-equipped centres. The Sick Newborn Care Unit, which is set to begin operations within the next two weeks, promises to bridge the gap.

“A similar project has been executed in other states, which has done wonders there. Ghatshila is an ideal location for the project and residents of six neighbouring blocks would be able to access the unit easily,” said district civil surgeon Depali Dey.

The unit is a result of a joint venture between the state government and Unicef. While the state government has provided Rs 20 lakh for renovating the building that would house the newborn care unit, Unicef has contributed modern equipment worth Rs 70 lakh.

According to Unicef officials, the unit would be equipped with a 40KVA genset in order to ensure a 24-hour power supply.

“We have also installed baby radiant warmers, photo therapy units, oxygen concentrates and all other equipment that are necessary for saving a child in case of post-delivery complications. At a given time, the unit could cater to the specialised needs of about 12 newborns,” said S.P. Mishra, the co-ordinator at Unicef, Jamshedpur.

While a body warmer is essential to maintain the body temperature of a newborn, phototherapy units help in treating neonatal hyperbilirubinaemia or jaundice.

According to Dey, the unit would provide 24-hour service. A team of four regular doctors and an adequate number of nursing staff would be on call. The unit would also have a child delivery centre.

“This would ensure that a newborn gets immediate treatment in case of emergency. As these units are doing well in other parts of the country, the success of the unit here would help in establishing similar units in other parts of Jharkhand. Madhulika Jonathan, the project officer (health), Unicef, has played an important role in ensuring that the centre is set up in Ghatshila,” added Mishra.

With the unit being a project under the state government, healthcare charges would be nominal. The civil surgeon maintained that patients from Ghatshila, Chakulia, Dhalbhumgarh, Dumaria, Musabani and Behragora blocks of the district would be most benefited by the project.