KOLLAM: Husbands who wish to reduce the labour pains of their beloved can now go to the Punalur taluk hospital and be with their wives during delivery. In a path-breaking move, the hospital, which has earned a name as the one of the best in India, has decided to permit men to witness the arrival of their offspring and share the intense trauma that the women undergo during childbirth. The programme, ‘Beside you – birth companion scheme,’ will also permit a female relative of the pregnant women to be present in the labour room at the crucial time. The hospital also conducts painless delivery— the first public sector one to do it in the state.
“Women face great stress during delivery psychologically and physiologically. We have received many requests from the people to permit them inside labour rooms which made us think of the programme. As a trial, we permitted five of them and the results were encouraging,” Dr R. Shahirshah, hospital superintendent, told this newspaper. The hospital has completed 2,000 painless deliveries since October 2010.
“And now the husband and wife can hold their hands during childbirth. A woman enters a labour room, a totally unfamiliar place, with stress and fear. The companionship programme helps her remain calm for a normal delivery and avoid Caesarean,” Dr Shahirsha added. An 11-member team from the Central government who visited the hospital recently as part of the Common Review Mission (CRM) praised it as one of the best hospitals in India. Health secretary Rajeev Sadanandan and director of health service R. Ramesh were most supportive for implementing the new initiative,” he added.
The hospital will also get a cosmetology department providing 40 new procedures, including skin platelet- rich plasma administration for baldness, follicle transplantation, squint correction, smile designing and dental jewellery. Dr. Shahirsha’s team comprises his wife and gynaecologist Dr S. Sindi along with dermatologist Dr Anju, ophthalmologist Dr Ciny and dental surgeons Dr Prasanth and Dr Gohin.
