SVIMS to soon launch dedicated PICU for critically ill children

Tirupati: A dedicated Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) established at SVIMS–Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women with Rs 52 lakh financial assistance from the State Bank of India will soon begin providing critical care to seriously ill children.

The new facility at Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS), Tirupati, has been set up to strengthen specialised emergency and critical-care services for children requiring intensive medical attention.

The financial assistance from SBI has enabled the institution to develop essential infrastructure and procure critical-care equipment for the unit. The PICU will provide continuous monitoring and specialised treatment for children with severe illnesses and life-threatening conditions, including serious infections, respiratory failure, sepsis and septic shock, neurological emergencies, poisoning, cardiac emergencies and postoperative complications.

SVIMS Director cum Vice Chancellor Dr Gudaru Jagadeesh said timely intervention was crucial in treating critically ill children. A child’s condition could deteriorate rapidly and that immediate medical attention could make a significant difference in saving lives. “Saving the life of a child is, in many ways, saving the future of an entire family. Every minute is precious when a child is critically ill. If the right medical intervention is provided at the right time, many precious young lives can be saved,” he said.

Dr Jagadeesh said strengthening paediatric critical-care services was one of the important priorities at SVIMS. Children with severe respiratory distress, sepsis, septic shock, neurological emergencies and serious infections required continuous monitoring and immediate intervention.

Critically ill children could not always be managed effectively in a routine paediatric ward. Such patients require a dedicated environment where continuous monitoring, respiratory support, emergency medicines, ventilatory assistance and resuscitation facilities are available.

The new PICU has eight ICU cots and four multiparameter monitors. The major equipment includes a paediatric ventilator, a High-Flow Nasal Cannula (HFNC), a defibrillator, an ECG machine and a crash cart.

Dr Jagadeesh said the facility would strengthen SVIMS’s ability to quickly stabilise critically ill children and provide specialised treatment within the institution. He pointed out that transferring an unstable child to a distant tertiary-care centre could lead to a loss of valuable time and expose the patient to risks associated with transportation.

He expressed his appreciation to the State Bank of India for providing Rs 52 lakh towards the facility and described the contribution as an example of meaningful social responsibility and said financial limitations should not prevent critically ill children from receiving timely and quality intensive care.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pradeep Vennelakanti

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