Paediatrics ICU, first of its kind in town

 CU inaugurated at BBH, equipped with 15 new ventilators, 15 monitors, 5 incubators and latest machinery

Rawalpindi

The commissioning of newly established Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Paediatrics Department at Benazir Bhutto Hospital has been inaugurated here on Tuesday and from now on, the population in the district would be able to have facilities of the latest types of incubators and ventilators at a public sector hospital for newborns and children.

Politician from PML-N Muhammad Hanif Abbasi inaugurated officially the working of the newly established ICU at the BBH. Chairman Board of Management of Allied Hospitals Dr. Muhammad Aslam, Principal Rawalpindi Medical College and Chief Allied Hospitals Professor Muhammad Umar and Head of Paediatrics Department at Rawalpindi Medical College Professor Dr. Rai Muhammad Asghar along with Medical Superintendent of BBH and senior officials at allied hospitals attended the inaugural ceremony.

The new ICU at BBH Paediatrics Department that has been established under annual development programme has a capacity of 15 beds along with five incubators equipped with the latest types of ventilators being used around the globe.

The newly established Paediatrics ICU is considered as the first of its kind in the region by health experts because of being equipped with latest machinery and equipment. We have been provided with 15 new ventilators of the latest types having built-in batteries and automatic functioning while five of these are capable of high frequency oscillatory ventilation (HFOV), said Dr. Rai Asghar while talking to ‘The News’ after inauguration of the ICU.

High frequency ventilation is a new technique of ventilation that uses respiratory rates that greatly exceed the rate of normal breathing. It also reduces the chances of morbidities in patients.

Dr. Rai said all the five incubators at the newly established Paediatrics ICU would have facility of HFOV and monitors. The BBH paeds ICU has been given 15 monitors to monitor vitals round the clock on their beds, he said.

He added that five ventilators have already been operating at the BBH Paediatrics department and with the provision of 15 new ventilators; the Paediatrics ICU would have a total of 20 ventilators.

The new ICU has been equipped with one electroencephalogram, equipment to test or record brain activity, one electromyogram to measure electrical activity of muscles when they are at rest and when they are being used, one Nerve Conduction Studies machine and one machine for ABG, an arterial blood gas test that measures the acidity and levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood from an artery.

The new ICU has also been equipped with baby warmers for management of babies or neonates who suffer from hypothermia, low body temperature. To a query, Dr. Rai said apart from latest types of equipment, the Punjab government has created 120 new posts of senior registrars, medical officers, ICU nurses and related staff. After induction of approved staff, the newly established Paeds ICU would become an unmatchable healthcare facility for newborns and children in the region, he said.