Paediatricians discuss new technological advancements to check infant mortality

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, August 19

Paediatricians from all across the state dwelt on issues related to morbidity and mortality in critically-ill newborns and children during a conference, NEOPIC-2018, being organised by the Bathinda Academy of Paediatricians at a city hotel on Sunday.

The conference primarily focused on advancements in neonatology and intensive care for newborns and children and was an effort to combat infant mortality rate (for children under 5 years of age). Beside the neonatologists (newborn care experts), more than 300 delegates from all across the state participated in it.

The conference was inaugurated by Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal, who was the chief guest on the occasion.

The chief guest then launched a medical journal, Newborn times, on the occasion. Dr HN Singh, Civil Surgeon, Bathinda, and president of neonatology and intensive care chapters of Punjab, were also present on the occasion among other experts from medical fraternity.

Dr Satish Jindal, head of the paediatrics unit at the Civil Hospital, Bathinda, said, “NEOPIC is the annual conference of neonatology chapter and intensive care chapter of the Indian Academy of Paediatrics, Punjab, wherein renowned experts in the field of neonatology and intensive care from all over India shared their experiences and knowledge during the conference.”

Dr Ajay Gambhir, former president, National Neonatology Forum (NNF) and Central IAP (CIAP), shared current and future scenario of newborn health care in the country.

He shared his views as to how we could design national health programmes to decrease the burden of disease among newborns and children in the country.

Experts in newborn care emphasised the importance of referring the babies to higher tertiary care centres at appropriate time to avoid irreversible damage to the baby as it would help decrease the infant mortality rate (IMR) of the region and the nation.

Dr Puneet Aulakh Pooni, head of Paediatrics, DMC Hospital, Ludhiana, and panelists’ expert in crucial care and emergency medicine discussed a medical condition called ‘shock’. Experts concluded that if doctors identified the shock early in critically ill-children, we could decrease the mortality rate in children.