St George Hospital resumes paediatric services after pandemic

Mumbai's St. George Hospital has resumed paediatric medical services after being repurposed as a Covid-19 facility. The hospital plans to increase its 20-bed paediatric inpatient facility to 40 beds and renovate the ward to create a child-friendly environment. The hospital also aims to introduce a liver transplant program and reinstate services like plastic surgery and gynaecology.

Mumbai: St. George Hospital, a state-run medical institution, has reinstated paediatric medical services following a hiatus during the Covid-19 pandemic. The 460-bed hospital, located in Fort, had been repurposed as a Covid-19 facility during the peak of the pandemic and resumed non-Covid medical services in May 2022. Due to staffing shortages, however, paediatric services, both outpatient and inpatient admissions, remained suspended.

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Prior to the pandemic, the hospital’s paediatric department served 50-100 patients daily in the paediatric outpatient department (OPD).

Dr. Vinayak Sawardekar, the medical superintendent, revealed that the hospital has initiated a 20-bed inpatient facility for paediatric patients, with plans to increase the bed strength to 40 in the coming days. Currently, five patients are under treatment in the ward.

Heading the paediatric department is Dr. Vineet Warte, supported by five doctors and four nurses. A senior official acknowledged the challenges faced in resuming super-speciality services post-pandemic, noting that the paediatric department, along with others like plastic surgery, took time to restart. Dr. Warte was transferred from Akola to initiate the paediatric facility.

Dr. Sawardekar highlighted that while outpatient services have resumed this week, there are plans to aesthetically renovate the paediatric ward for a child-friendly environment. The renovated space will include engaging toys to enhance the experience for young patients.

In a broader expansion of medical services, the state medical education department aims to introduce a liver transplant program at the hospital, facilitated by a team of liver surgeons from a private hospital. Expressing satisfaction with the gradual resumption of various medical services, another official emphasised the hospital’s proximity to CST station, attracting numerous patients. The hospital is optimistic about reinstating services such as plastic surgery, dialysis units, and gynaecology services.