Good News From Pokhara (Nepal)
Mina Nepali was a young Nepalese mother, and her son was born prematurely at a gestational age of 28 weeks at the Gandaki Medical College in Pokhara. Since she was very poor and could not afford treatment for her baby in a private structure, her son was urgently transferred to our hospital, the Western Regional Hospital of Pokhara, which is the public referral facility in the region. Luckily for Mina Nepali and her son, our hospital has been equipped for a few years with a complete suite of MTTS medical machines (CPAP for respiratory distress, phototherapy machines for Jaundice, Infant Warmers) that allow us to provide a high standard of care for the most premature infants. We also received training and continuous support from the Day One Health team. On the day of admission, the baby weighed just 700 grams. He was diagnosed as preterm with low birth weight, suspected sepsis and hypoglycemia. The infant was treated with a CPAP machine for more than 8 days, and in between there were many episodes of apnea. We had to do several cycles of bag and mask ventilation. At the same time, while the baby was in our NICU, his mother underwent a delicate surgery. The baby was so precious for his parents. Thankfully, he was strong and he was discharged from the NICU after almost 40 days, with a weight of 1.3 kg. The technique of Kangaroo Mother Care was taught to both parents. Two weeks after discharge, the baby had another health problem: he was cyanosed and not breathing well. We had to immediately start bag and mask ventilation, and we initiated CPAP treatment once again. After 20 days, he was finally discharged, and he continued to grow strong and healthy. Now, at seven months old, the child is healthy The smiles on the faces of his parents tell us everything we need to know about this miracle at the Western Regional Hospital.
Miss Ayasha Humagai, Staff Nurse, Western Regional Hospital, Pokhara.
