VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada Government General Hospital (GGH) is all set to provide cutting-edge medical services to newborns with the inauguration of its new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) in addition to the existing ones.
The state-of-the-art facility, located on the second floor of the Maternal and Infant Department building, aims to cater to the increasing demand for specialised care for newborns less than 28 days old. The new units will be inaugurated soon by the Minister for Health, Medical and Family Welfare Vidadala Rajini, marking a significant milestone in the healthcare sector.
The newly established units comprise 40 beds, strategically divided into two departments-20 beds dedicated to the NICU and another 20 beds for the SNCU. This expansion comes in response to the overwhelming number of patients seeking treatment at the existing 40-bed units in the government hospital, which has proven insufficient to meet the growing needs.
To ensure top-notch care, the State government had initiated the establishment of the NICU and SNCU, which are equipped with machinery, including a central oxygen system pipeline for ventilators and continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) machines, infant warmers, digital weighing machines and phototherapy machines.
Additionally, a cutting-edge laminar airflow system has been installed to prevent infections and maintain a sterile environment for delicate patients. It is to be noted that NICU is for newborns and SNCU is a special care unit for the babies who are born early.
Speaking to TNIE, Superintendent of GGH Dr D Venkatesh expressed the State government’s commitment to prioritising the health sector, highlighting the NICU and SNCU’s role in providing immediate medical services and detecting defects in newborns, who need secondary and tertiary care.
The units have been thoughtfully designed to match the standards of corporate hospitals while offering free-of-cost treatment, which would otherwise cost lakhs in private facilities. “The NICU will not only cater the needs of Vijayawada residents, but also people from surrounding areas like Guntur, Nujiveedu, Eluru, Bhimavaram and Machilipatnam of Andhra Pradesh and Khammam of Telangana. The new units will be inaugurated within 10 to 15 days after winding up the installation of all machinery in the facilities,” the superintendent informed.
Professor of the Paediatric department Dr Paruchuri Anil Kumar said, “The new unit’s comprehensive approach to treating babies with low weight, premature infants, those with underdeveloped lungs, amniotic fluid-related issues, and congenital jaundice showcases the hospital’s commitment to provide high-quality healthcare on par with private hospitals to the most vulnerable members of society. Inauguration of this modern facility would begin a new chapter in ensuring a healthy future for the newborns.”
Top-notch equipment
Central oxygen system
Infant warmers
Digital weighing machines
Phototherapy machines
CPAP machines
Laminar airflow system