Manipal Hospital Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is all set to commence a two-year Paediatric DNB Critical Care Programme this year to help train doctors in critical care services vital even to the remote areas of the country.

The PICU, which focuses in treating critically ill children, started on June 5, 2000 has taken care of 1883 patients so far. The 8-bed facility was set up an investment cost of Rs. 80 lakhs for infrastructure and state-of-the-art equipment like the ABG machine, electrolytes, flexible bronchoscopy, peritoneal dialysis, haemodialysis, Plasmapheresis, CT scan and MRI Scan. Following this would be the setting up of a Poison Control Centre supported by Lucent Technology, which will help timely dissemination of correct information regarding the management of antidote and details of the closest healthcare facility etc. to both the public and the doctors. The PICU is waiting for three to four telephone lines, which are toll free, and the services will be free of cost over the phone. The World Health Organisation (WHO) too is providing compact discs (CDs) priced at $2,000 to $ 3,000, which will have all details of the poison treatment.

Dr. Meera Ramakrishnan, Paediatric Intensivist, PICU, Manipal Hospital told pharmabiz.com that the concept behind the PICU is that it is a specialised part of the hospital rendering treatment to the critically ill or injured children from post new born to teenagers. "Our PICU has a mortality rate of 9 percent comparable with that of the world standards which is 8 percent. This is despite the fact that patients have the disadvantage of poor medical infrastructure, lack of awareness of such facilities and the lack of financial support for expensive treatment where a parent needs to spend Rs. 3,000 to Rs. 4,000 a day at the PICU.

The staff of the PICU in Manipal is trained in critical care. The nurses at PICU are certified in Paediatric Advanced Life Support and there are junior doctors who are available 24-hours in the ICU. There is a dedicated Intensivist who is certified by the American Board Certified Intensivist to ensure speedy interventions are carried out.

What is unique about the PICU at the Manipal Hospital is that apart from round the clock medical care, there is a dedicated paediatric pulmonologist to perform flexible bronchoscopy which not many hospitals in the country provide. It is also the only PICUs in the country capable of providing plasmapharesis and non-invasive ventilation, added Dr. Ramakrishnan.

The PICU admits sick children having a gamut of problems ranging from severe diarrhoea, breathing difficulty to septic shock. The management of patients is based on evidence and experience derived from recently published articles in India, US and Europe.

There is an increase in admission of children from the low economic strata to the PICU at the Manipal Hospital which receives a funding from Arghyam headed by Rohini Nilekeni to help the poor patients admitted in paediatric ICU. In the past one year three patients from a low economic strata are treated in a month through the funding from the Trust where the treatment and surgery cost ranges from Rs. 1 to Rs. 3 lakh. The patients treated here have been victims of snakebites, tetanus, poisonings brain tumour and heart tumour. The hospital has waived 30 percent of the charges for such cases.