For the first time in the state, the Department of Medical, Health and Family welfare has decided to install Intensive Care Units (ICUs) in all the major government maternity hospitals to cater to the healthcare needs of pregnant women during emergencies.

This decision has been taken by the government only after 5 women pregnant women lost their lives while undergoing cesarean operation at Nilofer Hospital. “Niloufer is a very famous maternity and neonatal child care hospital especially catering the pediatric specialization. However, this hospital is lacking the ICU to cater to the emergency healthcare issues of pregnant women who may develop complications while undergoing cesarean surgeries. “Recently 5 women had lost their lives due to complications during surgeries and we got to shift these cases immediately to Osmania General Hospital. By then it was too late. Had we had advanced systems here in Nilofer Hospital we could have saved these lives,” said a senior official at Nilofer on anonymity.

On one hand, the state government wants to increase the institutional deliveries in the government hospitals, while on the other the infrastructure, human resources and other facilities in the government hospitals  are in dismal state. Fearing inadequate healthcare services and no proper care by the doctors and nurses in the government hospitals majority prefer private hospitals. “Though the government is encouraging more people to get institutional deliveries in government hospitals, what is the use if it does not give enough hope for life. Majority of poor families approach the government hospitals, but because of inadequate facilities or proper medical care, many women have lost their lives,” says Yadamma, a patient attendant at Niloufer Hospital.

With the recent deaths of pregnant women, Dr. C. Laxma Reddy, Minister for Medical Health and Family Welfare, government of Telangana had sanctioned ICUs to Niloufer, Modern Government Maternity Hospital at Petlaburj and Government Maternity Hospital at Sultanbazar. “Initially we are allocating ICUs to all the major maternity Hospitals in Hyderabad. We shall install more ICUs in other maternity hospitals across the state in a phased manner,” informed the Minister.

However, the Niloufer Children’s Hospital, is still not utilizing the newly constructed additional building to accommodate the growing inflow of patients and all the equipments and other healthcare machinery installed at the hospital is left unused. The reason for not utilizing new facility is due to non availability of additional paramedical staff, nurses and doctors.

To overcome the staff crunch at Niloufer, a meeting was held to discuss the matter with special chief Secretary Rajeshwar Tiwari, Vakati karuna, Commissioner of Health and Family welfare and Dr. Ramani, Director of Medical Education in the state. “We have taken note of  the staff crunch at the hospitals and the newly installed ICU centers. Very soon all the posts in the hospitals will be filled and see that all the facilities will be made operational,” said Rajeshwar Tiwari, special chief secretary, Health department, government of Andhra Pradesh.