Key Takeaways:

• Eight-bed NICU began operating Tuesday; two newborns admitted on day one
• NICU provides intensive care for newborns up to 28 days
• Hospital also launched an eight-bed PICU for children aged 1 month–14 years
• Facilities established with Rs 3.72 crore from Bagmati provincial government

HETAUDA, AUGUST 12 Pregnant women in Hetauda who face high-risk deliveries may no longer have to travel to Chitwan or Kathmandu out of fear that their newborns will need intensive care, following the launch of a neonatal intensive care unit at Hetauda Hospital. The eight-bed NICU at Hetauda Hospital began operating on Tuesday, with two newborns admitted for treatment on its first day, according to paediatrician Dr Haribahadur Khadka. The two babies had been delivered by caesarean section at the hospital on Tuesday and were subsequently admitted to the NICU after developing complications, Khadka said. The unit will provide intensive care to newborns for up to 28 days. The hospital had been planning to establish a NICU for the past two years. Its absence had forced families of high-risk newborns to seek specialised care in Chitwan or Kathmandu. Paediatrician Dr Raju Sedhai said the new facility is expected to increase the number of pregnant women choosing Hetauda Hospital for delivery. It will also reduce the need to transfer critically ill newborns to Chitwan or Kathmandu after delivery, he said. Alongside the NICU, the hospital has also brought an eight-bed paediatric intensive care unit (PICU) into operation for critically ill children aged one month to 14 years. The NICU and PICU were established with Rs 3.72 crore provided by the Bagmati provincial government, said Amar Adhikari, administrative officer at the Madan Bhandari Academy of Health Sciences. The NICU is staffed by paediatric specialists Dr Khadka, Dr Sedhai and Dr Sushma Hujdar, along with nurse Samjhana Phuyal. The hospital is also processing the appointment of two additional paediatric specialists. The NICU has four medical officers, 18 staff nurses, four sweepers and two security guards. Hetauda Hospital currently also operates a 24-bed paediatric ward, a four-bed Special Neonatal Care Unit and a four-bed Nutrition Rehabilitation Centre. More than 100 doctors, including specialists, are currently working at the hospital.