Tell me about the Paediatrics & Neonatology department in EMC
The Department of Paediatrics commenced functioning at Ernakulam Medical Centre on January 1985. It provides comprehensive health care services for children and adolescents below the age of 14. The steady growth of the department that followed led to the inauguration of Advanced Neonatal and Paediatric Tertiary Care Centre (ANPTCC) on 14th November 2000.The Department provides comprehensive inpatient and outpatient medical services to pediatric patients with a vast variety of problems. The functioning of the department collaborates with specialties such as paediatric surgery, obstetrics, neurology, ENT, and others.
What is Advanced Neonatal and Paediatric Tertiary Care Centre (ANPTCC)?
This is a well equipped 30 bed Level III referral ICU with 24X7 coverage of neonatologists and has over 1000 admissions annually with excellent survival rates. Our high-risk obstetrics team and experienced paediatric surgery units routinely handle in-utero transfers and neonatal surgical emergencies. Facilities are also available for neuro-development assessment, intervention, OAE Audiometry & ROP screening, and cryotherapy.
What is meant by a Level III referral unit?
The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Ernakulam Medical Centre is a Level III category facility that is equipped to provide the highest standards of neonatal care as per the globally accepted practice of grading care at NICUs depending on their facilities and service levels.
India has a 3-tier system of care that is based on weight and gestational age of the new-born.
Level I Care – Neonates weighing more than 1800 grams or having the gestational maturity of 34 weeks or more are categorized under level I care. The care consists of basic care at birth, provision of warmth, maintaining an infection free environment and promotion of breastfeeding. This type of care can be given at home, or any primary health center.
Level II Care – Neonates weighing 1200-1800 grams or having the gestational maturity of 30–34 weeks are categorized under level II care and are looked after by trained nurses and paediatricians. The facilities used for this level of care include equipment for resuscitation, maintenance of thermo neutral environment, intravenous infusion, gavage feeding, phototherapy and exchange blood transfusion. This type of care can be given at first referral units, district hospitals, and nursing homes.
Level III Care – Neonates weighing less than 1200 grams or having the gestational maturity of less than 30 weeks are categorized under level III care. The care is provided at larger institutions equipped with centralized oxygen and suction facilities, servo-controlled incubators, vital signs monitors, transcutaneous monitors, ventilators, infusion pumps etc. This type of care is provided by specially skilled nurses and neonatologists.
The Level III NICU at Ernakulam Medical Centre with a capacity of 30 beds provides 24-hour care on a one-to-one basis through our experienced neonatologists, specially trained nurses and other support staff. We also have state-of-the-art equipment and devices to constantly monitor the progress of the treatment.
Click here to learn more about our NICU.
Are paediatric & neonatal services in EMC available round the clock?
Yes, our outpatient units are open at regular hours on all working days. Outside these hours, services of a qualified paediatrician/neonatologist are available in the Casualty department round the clock on all days.
What are the child safety procedures available in the hospital?
The hospital has implemented the following policy in this regard:
– Parents/guardian should accompany the children during hospital visits.
– All inpatients have proper ID bands.
– Inpatient beds are provided with side rails.
– Visitors are prohibited in the neonatal and paediatric ICUs, except with the permission of parents.
– All newborns have ID band with baby’s name, baby’s ID number
– Newborns in the hospital are named after mother’s full name.
Do you have facilities for neonatal/paediatric surgeries in EMC?
Yes, we have one of the best facilities and specialist teams for carrying out surgical treatments for children. Click here to read more.
Can parents/relatives stay in the hospital during their child’s treatment?
Yes, they can be with their loved ones at all times, except in the ICUs where the medical teams hold regular briefing sessions with the parents for updates on the progress of the treatment.