In view of the pressing need for expanded facilities to cater to the growing number of high-risk pregnancies and neonatal cases in the region, the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, will be recruiting 95 faculty members for its upcoming Advanced Mother and Child Centre (AMCC).
At a recently tabled meeting of the standing academic committee, the proposal for creation of various faculty positions, including 21 assistant professors, 35 senior residents, and 39 junior residents for the AMCC, was approved.
Despite limitations in space and resources, the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, along with the Neonatology unit at PGIMER, have also been serving multiple states, including western Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan.
Currently, the available facilities at PGIMER are unable to provide optimal care to approximately two-thirds of women and newborns requiring assistance, leading to the referral of nearly 3,000 high-risk cases elsewhere due to space constraints.
As per the proposal, the number of deliveries has surged from 3,300 in 1990 to over 6,000 presently, with an anticipated increase to nearly 10,000 upon the centre’s establishment.
The proposal also highlights that the outdoor patient visits for antenatal care have risen from 28,000 in 2012 to over 41,000, indicating a substantial uptick in demand for services. Similarly, the influx of low birth weight and high-risk neonates requiring NICU care has surged by over 250% in the last 15 years.
{{/usCountry}}The proposal also highlights that the outdoor patient visits for antenatal care have risen from 28,000 in 2012 to over 41,000, indicating a substantial uptick in demand for services. Similarly, the influx of low birth weight and high-risk neonates requiring NICU care has surged by over 250% in the last 15 years.
{{/usCountry}}The number of sick newborns referred to PGIMER has also jumped tremendously.
These newborns are brought to PGIMER for incubator care, ventilator support and multi-organ support. However, they are unable to get a NICU bed. Currently, the hospital receives nearly 3,500 sick neonates every year who require NICU bed.
The AMCC will bridge this gap by expanding the number of beds and facilities significantly, including an increase in neonatal care beds from 40 to 104, and obstetric beds from 42 to 150.
With the commissioning of the AMCC, it is anticipated that maternal, neonatal and infant mortality rates will decline, offering much-needed relief to the population of northern states who rely on PGIMER as a referral centre. Pankaj Rai, deputy director, PGIMER, confirmed that the centre will be completed by December 31.