To reduce infant mortality rate (IMR) in Kandhamal district, the administration has decided to reorganise the labour room and sick newborn care unit (SNCU) at the district headquarters hospital at Phulbani and sought the posting of paediatricians.
"We plan to have the labour room close to SNCU to facilitate immediate shifting of infants. A donation drive will be launched to stock blood for emergency," Kandhamal district Collector Yamini Sarangi said.
A dedicated team, including staff nurses and Class IV employees, would be engaged in the SNCU, she said.
These decisions were taken at a meeting yesterday between the district administration and a three-member government team, which recently visited Kandhamal to probe deaths of 26 infants at the SNCU in May.
"In May, 116 infants were admitted to the SNCU. Twenty six of them died due to premature birth, septicaemia and asphyxiation," chief district medical officer (incharge) J N Patnaik, said.
Ten infants among the 26 were born in the hospital, while the rest were referred cases, he said.
Official sources said the district recorded 24 infant deaths in April, 25 in March, 15 in February and 11 in January.
The administration has also written to the government requesting for posting of more paediatricians in the district.
Currently, there is only one paediatrician, against the requirement of 19 for 14 community health centres, two sub-divisional hospitals and one district headquarters hospital, the sources added.
