Kamala Nehru Hospital awaits docs as ventilators remain shut for 4 months due to staff shortage
Officials said authorities yet to fill vacant posts despite NICU at Kamala Nehru Hospital (KNH), run by PMC, being forced to shut down its ventilators due to shortage of doctors since last four months
Pune: Officials said that authorities are yet to fill vacant posts despite the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at Kamala Nehru Hospital (KNH), run by Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC), being forced to shut down its ventilators due to shortage of doctors since last four months.
“The vacant posts in the health department are to be filled by the civic general administration department. We have written several times to the department requesting urgent appointments. A fresh letter was sent on Thursday. Senior officials said it will take time to fill these posts,” said Dr Nina Borade, health chief, PMC.
The non-operation of the only civic-run facility equipped with neonatal ventilators that handles critical cases has caused severe distress to patients and families.
The 20-bed NICU at KNH is equipped with four ventilators, and patients from all civic-run maternity homes and hospitals in need of ventilators are referred to the hospital. The ventilators are crucial to provide life-saving care to criticallyill newborns.
“We require at least five paediatricians and five MBBS officers to run the facility. We have only two paediatricians and three medical officers, and two have already indicated their intent to leave soon. Around 20 babies are delivered daily here, and premature or complicated cases are now being referred to other hospitals.” said a senior KNH official on condition of anonymity.
Santosh More (name changed) of Navi Peth said, “Last week, my sister delivered a baby who had breathing difficulties at KNH. The NICU ventilator at Sassoon General Hospital was full. We went from one hospital to another, and finally found a ventilator at a private facility. But the cost there is extremely high and beyond our means.”
Health experts said that newborns in NICU’s require round-the-clock monitoring by specialists, and the absence of such care could lead to tragic outcomes.
Dr Prashant Bothe, medical superintendent, KNH, said, “We have written multiple times to the health department and met senior officials requesting appointment of doctors. It feels bad when patients struggle to get ventilator beds for neonate during the golden hours. The officials have assured us to provide staff on priority.”
