Ensuring proper management of facilities and equipment in the Special Newborn Care Unit Ward of District Women Hospital, Ballia, Uttar Pradesh
On the night of April 1 & 2, 2024 (2:41:56 AM), the Health Online Parameter Evaluation (HOPE) centre at Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, during their regular monitoring of the district hospitals (District Women Hospital Ballia), observed that three or four newborn babies were kept in each operational Ultra Violet warmer, ventilators and incubators in the Special Newborn Care Unit Ward (SNCU) ward. Several newborn babies were observed to be crying, moving, and found restless disrupting the comfort of other sleeping infants in proximity. None of the hospital staff appeared to be addressing this issue in the CCTV monitoring within the unit. HOPE Call Center Executive (CCE) contacted the hospital’s Chief Medical Superintendent (CMS) at night so that this critical situation was noted. The SNCU staff arrived after that, tending to the needs of the babies by feeding them, changing the bed sheets in the warmers, and cleaning the SNCU Ward.
The next day, the HOPE team contacted the CMS to investigate the issue. The CMS highlighted issues such as non-functional equipment, overcrowding, and limited resources in the SNCU. The CMS assured 24/7 staff availability and their training for the ward. The successful management of facilities and equipment in the SNCU ward of the District Women Hospital Ballia served as a testament of the collaborative efforts, and strategic planning at enhancing healthcare delivery for newborns and mothers by prioritizing equipment maintenance, resource allocation, and staff training setting a benchmark for quality care and safety of the patient. The vigilant monitoring, timely escalations, and swift response to non-compliance issues with the CMS played a crucial role in preventing a system-level gap as well as reinforced the ongoing commitment of the HOPE team to the UP-health system.
This case spotlights the effectiveness of managing such areas within hospitals through online monitoring. Such reviews and evidence-based measures to address issues go a long way in improving neonatal outcomes, ensuring efficient resource utilization, and enhancing overall patient care standards to deliver streamlined healthcare services to the newborns.