Father struggles to shift underweight babies from YCM hospital, good samaritan to the rescue

Koran who has a coaching class at Pimpale Gurav was at the YCM hospital early Monday as his friend had met with an accident and witnessed the scene where Khedkar was seeking help from the attendants so that he could take the babies to another health facility.

“He was begging them to come. The ambulance did not have support staff to accompany Khedkar and his babies. I even took video footage of the incident recording the reluctance of the ward attendant. The ambulance driver asked for Rs 300 which I paid as the babies were shivering in the cold and it was important to take them to another facility immediately,” recalls Koran.

He accompanied them in the ambulance to the District Hospital at Aundh. “The doctor on duty told us it was fortunate that we were able to get them on time,” Koran said.

According to the patient referral form issued by YCM hospital, the reason for a referral was given as the non-availability of NICU beds.
Oxygen by Bubble CPAP (Continuous Positive Airway Pressure) was advised as medical care in transit. According to the form, relatives were also explained the risk of transportation.

The guidelines of the National Neonatology Forum recommend neonates needing special or intensive care should preferably be transported by a skilled transport team through organized teamwork.

Appropriate equipment and vehicles customized for neonates should be available for safe transport.

Warmth, nutrition, and oxygen is mandatory during transport of a neonate, experts said. When contacted Dr Rajendra Wable, Dean, of YCM hospital said that the NICU had 25 beds -(15 for in-born and 10 for out born ones). “We have almost 25-30 deliveries every day and the NICU is fully occupied. The babies – depending on their condition – are kept in the NICU for more than a week and at times more than a month.. We are in the process of adding to the bed capacity. Work is in progress,” Dr Wable said, adding that he would look into the matter.