Good news: PGI to have neonatal intensive care unit

Good news for mothers of newborn babies! An advanced neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) will come up at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) by September this year.

Good news for mothers of newborn babies! An advanced neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) will come up at the Sanjay Gandhi Post Graduate Institute of Medical Sciences (SGPGIMS) by September this year.

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The 24X7 unit would handle challenging cases like septicaemia, jaundice, low birth weight, premature birth etc. At present, KGMU has the only advanced NICU in the state. But in Lucknow, the unit remains packed most of the time. With the commencement of NICU at PGI, people would have the option of availing international level healthcare services for their newborns. The unit would certainly help Lucknow and adjoining areas reduce infant mortality rate, feel experts.

“It would be a boon for those parents whose babies are born with defect/ disease,” said Professor Rakesh Sharma, director, SGPGI. The NICU would have expert respiratory therapists, nutritionists, besides having specially trained nurses, licensed social workers, speech and physical therapists, and lactation consultants.

Lucknow has an infant mortality rate of 45 per 1,000 births, which is higher as compared to other metro cities of India.

The 30-bed unit would be equipped with long-term intravenous feeding, infusion systems, prolonged oxygen support for neonates and tube feeding support.