The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : More support staff for SAT Hospital

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Thursday, May 03, 2007
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Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

More support staff for SAT Hospital

Staff Reporter

Minister announces measures to contain risk of infection

SHARING CONCERN: Health Minister P. K. Sreemathy in discussion with State Human Rights Commission chairperson N. Dinakar at SAT Hospital in the city on on Wednesday. Photo: S. Gopakumar

Thiruvananthapuram: Health Minister P.K. Sreemathy announced here that a series of short-term measures would be launched with immediate effect at SAT Hospital to prevent the risk of infection in labour rooms, wards and newborn nursery and to improve hospital hygiene.

Ms. Sreemathy, who visited the hospital on Wednesday following reports about the death of as many as 23 newborns in the hospital's in-born nursery due to hospital-acquired infection last month, said 25 cleaning staff and 22 nursing assistants would be appointed tomorrow itself, with the concurrence of the Hospital Development Society (HDS).

The HDS, which has representatives from the hospital, MLAs and ward councillors, will meet on Thursday and take necessary steps regarding the appointment of more support staff.

The Minister said though she had issued orders that junior public health nurses (JPHNs) may be appointed on a six-month basis as nursing assistants and that Kudumbasree and Mahila Swasth Sangh workers be inducted as cleaning staff, these orders were stayed by courts after hospital workers' unions went on the offensive.

Ms. Sreemathy said a list of senior nursing assistants who had retired from SAT Hospital had been prepared and that until staff appointments were regularised, their services could be utilised.

She directed the hospital authorities to identify a new space in the hospital to house a new newborn nursery. The present nursery is too crowded, which aggravated the risk of an infection outbreak. The hospital also needed a new emergency operation theatre with additional tables to handle the high volume of deliveries. Already, the Government has announced the allocation of Rs.1 crore from Arogya Keralam funds for SAT's modernisation. Once space is identified, a part of this money can be utilised for setting up the theatre.

Ms. Sreemathy also suggested that the shortage of anaesthetists at the hospital be managed by hiring anaesthetists from private hospitals on a fee-per-surgery basis.

Those who took part in the discussions included MCH Principal A. V. Remadevi; Director of Medical Education N. Sudayakumar; the former SAT Superintendent K. Rajmohan; and senior doctors.

Meanwhile, SAT Hospital authorities have confirmed that a sample of multi-drug-resistant Klebsiella bacteria had been isolated from the emergency operation theatre at the hospital in December. Three newborns of normal birth weight had died in the in-born nursery (IBN) following infection this month.

Control measures had been launched immediately and the labour room and nursery was sterilised and fumigated. It is difficult to pinpoint the source of infection, it was pointed out. When in March, some 13 cases of infection had been identified, adequate advice had been given to the nursery staff to launch infection control measures.

Santhosh Kumar, who is in charge of the IBN, said there had not been a substantial increase in neonatal mortality rate and that while there was an increase in the number of deaths, it was in proportion to the increase in admissions.

On an average, 150 babies were admitted in the IBN every month. The usual neonatal mortality rate at SAT was 10-11 per cent. In April, the number of admissions went up to 277 and in proportion, the mortality rate also went up to 13 per cent, he said.

According to figures released by SAT authorities, there were 14 deaths in the IBN in January, with three cases of infection. In February, the deaths were 28, with five identified as due to infection. In March, 23 newborns died, of which 14 cases were due to infection. In April, out of the 36 deaths of newborns reported at the IBN, 16 were a result of hospital-acquired infection.

While it was true that there had been deaths in the IBN due to hospital-acquired infection, the magnitude of the problem was being exaggerated, SAT authorities said.

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