Jammu’s GMC gets first Neonatology Department
Jammu, Aug 18:In a first the Government Medical College and Hospital Jammu got Super Speciality Department of Neonatology.
In an order issued by Principal and Dean GMC Dr Shashi Sudhan Sharma permission to start D M Neonatology course was granted by the administrative Department.
Newborn care has been acknowledged as the most important area in child health strategy both at Community as well as Facility level, said an official.
He added that the Government programmes such as ‘Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram’ (JSSK) have gone a long way in creating awareness even in rural areas and consequently the number of institutional deliveries has gone up substantially.
The Department of Pediatrics, SMGS Hospital, Govt. Medical College, Jammu is charged with the responsibility to cater not only to the in-house high risk newborns delivered in this Hospital, but also to accommodate sick newborns referred by CHC’s, District Hospital and also from Private Nursing Homes, he added.
Presently the Department of Pediatrics has been managing the Neonatal ICUs and these sick new borns are provided care in this Department.
At any given time, there are 140-160 newborns admitted in this Hospital, of which, 60-70 require special skilled in-patient care and 30-40 require intensive monitoring and ventilation under ICU facility.
The Government has taken cognizance of the fact that there is need to create a dedicated Super Speciality Department of Neonatology, and with the aim to decrease the neonatal and infant mortality in whole of the Jammu region as well as to provide improved and optimum services to neonates, permission/sanction has been accorded for the creation of Super Speciality Department of Neonatology in Government Medical College, Jammu.