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| With 37 neo-natal deaths in Nov-Dec 2014, LD hospital gasps for breath after floods | | | Mudasir Tariq
Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Feb 2: Five months after the devastating floods hit the state; valley's lone maternity hospital Lalded hospital still faces shortage of life saving equipments. The negligence on part of the administration has led to an increase in the mortality rate of children.
The official records reveal that about 37 neonates have died in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) of the hospital in November and December last year. While16 neonatal deaths were recorded in November 2014; December saw an escalation with 21 neonatal deaths.
Sources in the hospital said that post floods the hospital is facing mismanagement, while the hospital has an acute shortage of diagnostic facilities and infection control.
"Medical equipment and medicine worth crores of rupees was destroyed in the floods. Since then the hospital has been cleaned from the dirt of floods while as nothing was done to get back these equipments. A good portion of medicine was also saved during floods and sold to retailers," said sources.
Sources said that due to infection in the hospital many newborn babies were killed as hospital lacks infection control. "Patients in the hospital are facing life threat due to lack of effective infection control mechanism at the hospital," said sources.
The hospital lacks infection control in various essential wards and nursing care in NICU, while only one ventilator is said to be functional in the 50-bed NICU.
"Dozens of ventilators were destroyed in the floods. Despite repeated assertions the authorities did not purchase new ventilators. This time we have one ventilator operating that is insufficient to bear the load of hundreds of children that need to be put on ventilator soon after their birth," said an employee at the hospital wishing anonymity.
Ironically, the labour ward where the expectant mothers are admitted is also infected and this has also lead to an increase in the death of pregnant women in the recent past.
"The labour ward usually remains jam-packed with patients and attendants. There are greater chances of infection as the hospital has not been cleaned properly after floods. This has led to the death of several women during these months," said Dr. Sabeena, a Gynaecologist at the hospital.
Dr. Sabeena said that patients get infections usually during the process of dressing and while delivering babies as vulnerable places like labour rooms, operation theaters and post-operative wards have become infected. "Free flow of attendants without any accountability has coupled this problem. This is despite the fact that the patients brought here need utmost care and they should be kept away from the infections. As everyone is visiting inside the new born babies and their mothers are exposed to an immense infection which leads to the death of both," said Ghulam Nabi Malla, an attendant from Banihal whose wife is admitted in the hospital.
Sources in the hospital said that although a committee has been framed in the hospital called the Infection Control Committee to look after the sanitation of the hospital, but after floods this committee has remained non-functional.
"No one is caring about the sanitation of the hospital; there is poor sanitation and hygiene in the hospital. While thousands of patients rush here every day it is posing a threat to the life of every one at the hospital. The situation is worsening on every passing day," said sources. |
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