Niloufer CoE lifesaver for preterm babies

Doctors remotely guide counterparts at SNCUs in districts to save precious lives

Hyderabad: Preterm babies needing critical care, who earlier used to get referred to Niloufer Hospital in Hyderabad, are now receiving round-the-clock specialty care at Special New Born Care Units (SNCUs) located in districts by superspecialty doctors at the centre-of-excellence (CoE) established in Niloufer Hospital. The senior doctors at Niloufer are able to remotely guide their counterparts in the districts and save precious lives of preterm babies.

There are 42 SNCUs in Telangana, out of which nearly 30 are directly linked while the rest are being connected to Niloufer Hospital. A direct live-feed from the ICU of these SNCUs, where extremely ill preterm babies undergo treatment, are beamed to the centralised monitoring facility at Niloufer Hospital, where specialists doctors are stationed 24 hours.

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While challenges related to availability of specialists at the centralised facility and SNCUs persist, senior health officials at Niloufer Hospital have maintained that they have managed to save precious lives, reduce referrals and make a difference with the newly launched facility.

“Although, the initiative is still at a nascent stage, there is a 30 percent reduction in referrals of sick babies from districts to Niloufer Hospital. Our senior pediatricians are able to provide proper guidance to local doctors at SNCUs, who are able to save the babies there itself, without having to subject the baby to the difficult task of travelling. The centre-of-excellence is still at an early stage and it should be given time to mature,” says Superintendent, Niloufer Hospital, Dr T Usha Rani.

The SNCUs, which were expanded from 19 in 2014 to 42 in 2023, are providing all kinds of neonatal care to sick just born infants. These facilities have been developed as separate units, are located near to the labour wards in district hospitals. “Thanks to the centralised facility, the care givers at SNCUs are connected to us round-the-clock. They also feel as if they are part of a larger initiative of reducing infant mortality rate in Telangana,” Dr Usha Rani said.