By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: The Bihar government and the State Health Society, Bihar, are set to upgrade the Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) with new facilities to provide better healthcare for weak and sick newborns. As part of this initiative, a free ambulance service will now be available to transport newborns home after their admission and discharge from the SNCU. Dr Vijay Prakash Rai, the State Programme Officer for Child Health, has issued instructions to all civil surgeons regarding this service.
It has been mandated that government ambulances be used to refer sick newborns to the SNCU and to transport them home after discharge. Dr Rai reported that from April to August, ambulance services were provided to 8,378 children for referrals to the SNCU. Among these, 5,025 used private ambulance services. He has emphasised the provision of free ambulance services under the Janani Shishu Suraksha Programme for the referral of sick newborns to the SNCU.
SNCUs provide care for severely ill newborns, including those with low birth weight, premature birth, breathing difficulties, and hypothermia. These conditions are major causes of newborn deaths. To reduce this mortality rate, SNCUs have been established in most medical institutions across the state.
The free ambulance facility aims to save the lives of critically ill newborns by ensuring timely transportation to and from the hospital without any financial burden on families.
