KOCHI: The Ernakualm Government Medical College (EMC), which is inaugurating its new imaging centre having an MRI scan and a host of other modern facilities at a cost of Rs 25 crore on Sunday, has added a neo-natal care unit along with 10 more dialysis machines, lifting the profile of the hospital.
The hospital is also witnessing a change in work culture from the days when it was owned by the Co-operative Academy of Professional Education (CAPE) though there are still irritants.
The neo-natal unit has rescued 15 premature babies born from 24 weeks to 32 weeks with less than one kilogram weight in the past two months. A normal baby has weight ranging from 2.5 kg to 3.5 kg at the time of birth. Eight newborns had weight ranging from 600 gm to 800 gm. Most of the babies rescued had taken birth in other hospitals. The neo-natal unit has the facility to treat 12 babies at a time.
The neo-natal unit has five ventillators incluing a high-frequency modern ventillator. Expensive medicines including immunoglobulin and surfactant are given free of cost under the Arogyakiranam scheme at the unit. Neopuff and Cpap facilities that support premature newborn are also readied here. Four premature newborn were provided laser treatment to let them escape vision dimming problem. The neo-natal unit is headed by Dr Shiji Jacob and comprises Dr Sindhu Thomas Stephen and Dr Biphin Begum and nurses.
The second dialysis unit is added to the EMC with 10 machines at a cost of Rs 1 crore. The first dialysis unit consists of 6 machines. The new unit has a machine that can provide continuous renal replacement therapy which is useful for critically ill dialysis patients including snake bite victims. Currently 16 dialysis patients undergo dialysis in a day in three shifts and with the addition of the new machines, 50 patients could undergo dialysis in a day.
“The facilities are increasing day by day and the attitude of doctors and staff too is changing for the better. But some at the top and some staff who are continuing from CAPE too need to assimilate this change,” said Chandran V R, a resident of Kalamassery.
