SHILLONG, March 27: It is nearly two months that a Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) was inaugurated at the Ganesh Das Government Maternal and Child Hospital, Shillong but it is yet to be functional due to delay in the installation of a generator for operating machines.
A senior official of the Health department told The Shillong Times on Sunday that the installation of the generator was completed on Saturday. Its trial run will begin from Monday.
“The PICU will now be made operational,” the official said, adding the hospital needs a separate generator for the PICU to run the equipment 24X7.
“It was not possible to run the PICU without this generator as there is frequent power failure,” the official said.
The hospital has appointed staff who will be attached to the PICU.
Health Minister, James PK Sangma had inaugurated the PICU on February 1. Eight more PICUs will be installed in other districts in the coming months.
According to government figures, out of the 74,500 annual paediatric cases in the state involving hospitalisation, 30-40% is of critically-ill children who come from poor families.
“Majority of these children cannot afford to go to a private hospital for treatment,” senior pediatrician of Ganesh Das Hospital, Dr T Pde said.
Meanwhile, the Health department will soon hand over the prefabricated COVID Care Centre at Pasteur Institute, Lawmali to the Ganesh Das Hospital management.
Chennai-based Modulus Housing, which implemented the project, has already handed it over to the Health department.
“We will be handing over the prefab structure as soon as electricity as well as water connection is put in place,” the Health department official said, adding the hospital will utilise the infrastructure for admitting pregnant women who hail from far-flung areas.
“The hospital management will decide how to utilise this facility,” the official said.
The total estimated cost of material for the infrastructure, inclusive of equipment and furniture, is Rs 7 crore while the estimated cost of civil work is Rs 2.58 crore. It is a 100-bed facility.