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Written by Mann Aman Singh Chhina Chandigarh |
Updated: April 25, 2020 7:05:18 pm
Team of doctors and nurses at Pathankot Military Hospital with newborn baby and mother. Quick
Doctors at the Punhanb Pathankot Military Hospital had to perform complicated surgery on a one-day-old baby with a rare congenital abnormality of the intestines without a pediatrician or neonatal expert, as they were unable to organize one due to the established restrictions due to the national blockade in view of the COVID-19 outbreak.
A defense spokesperson said it was not feasible to take the baby to the nearest medical center in Chandimandir, where the necessary expertise was available.
The baby, born from a C-section last week, was suspected of having Hirschsprung’s disease (a rare congenital abnormality of the intestines). A quick diagnosis was made, but the baby’s condition was critical and he was in no condition to be transferred to the nearest pediatric surgery center at Command Hospital, Western Command, Chandimandir, which is a six-hour drive by road.
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Due to the closure of COVID-19, there were no pediatric surgeons available at Pathankot Civil Hospitals.
Major Adil Abdul Kalam, a surgical specialist at the Military Hospital, performed the operation on the newborn who was on a respirator. Army doctors say this is the first time in the Armed Forces Medical Services that such an intricate operation on a newborn was performed in a zoned hospital with no pediatric surgeon, pediatric anesthesiologist, or neonatologist available.
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“The operation was conducted in an emergency that, even if delayed by a few minutes, could have exacerbated the failure of multiple organs, leading to death,” Army Lt. Col. Pro Devender Anand, based in Jammu. “It was an extremely challenging and stressful task to successfully manage the case despite the absence of super specialty facilities.”
The baby has now been removed from the ventilator and is on the way to a healthy recovery.
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