Outlook English - Print Subscribers Copy Outlook English, 02 July 2018 | Page 21

R.A. CHANDROO
CARE ZONE Chennai’s ICH is among the best-known
ward (unoccupied presently) on standby to handle outbreaks.
government-run hospitals for children in south India
“After a recent food poisoning in a nearby village, we admitted
26 children with diarrhoea and vomiting,” he says. Since dedi-
cated wards offer quicker treatment and recovery, the children
patients are treated as close to home as possible. “Coming to
could be sent home the very next day. “This ward is isolated
ICH on referral should only be a last resort,” says Seervalar.
from others, so chances of infection are remote,” ICH health
Make no mistake: This hospital is the holy grail of healthcare,
educator S. Gangadharan says.
but the chain of command runs from the ground up. Similar
The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) built an
plans have been drawn up by many states, though they haven’t
outpatient complex with a modern ER in 2015 at ICH, at a cost
gone this far. Even Uttar Pradesh, where failure in oxygen sup-
of Rs 88 crore. “We had taken a loan of Rs 40 crore in 1998
plies trained the spotlight on poor health services in Gorakhpur
and effectively utilised it, hence we got the second loan,” says
and other towns last year, wants to do what Tamil Nadu has
state health secretary J. Radhakrishnan, adding that JICA has
done with ICH. But the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
also sanctioned a low-interest loan of Rs 1,500 crore for urban
Of all states, Tamil Nadu has provided for healthcare starting
healthcare in 17 Tamil Nadu cities.
where they are needed most—in villages.
In Tamil Nadu, newborn care acquired urgency after 13
This goes hand-in-hand with long-term plans to improve preg-
infants died in the Dharmapuri government hospital in
nant and nursing women’s nutrition, including a mother’s milk
November 2014. The underlying cause of deaths was poorly
bank. “The bank also gives milk to other hospitals free of cost
developed lungs as the mothers were malnourished—preterm
after our requirements are met,” says Dr Kamalakannan, who
and underweight babies always tether on
supervises the neonatal ICU at ICH.
the brink of life and death. The government
Tamil Nadu has more paediatricians than
Total PHCs
then set up neonatal wards with life-support
anywhere in the country: 800 in government
equipment in every district hospital and
hospitals and thrice as many in private
Functioning 1,368
ensured a paediatrician and nurses trained in
practice. It’s no surprise the infant mortality
Without a doctor 0
neonatal care were available.
rate is at an all-time low: 17 per 1,000 live
“Nurses, if specifically trained in neonatal
births (India: 34, SRS 2016). The remaining
District hospitals with
care, can improve child survival chances even
challenge: To better support the 27 per cent
pediatrician 90%
when a paediatrician is not on hand,” says Dr
children under five who are stunted, and 23
IMR in Tamil Nadu: 17
Seervalar. The crux of this approach is that
per cent who are still underweight. O
Source: Rural Health Statistics, NFHS, SRS
2 July 2018 OUTLOOK 21