Salem:

In a rare feat for a taluk government hospital, doctors at the Thiruchengode taluk hospital in Namakkal district performed an ABO incompatible blood transfusion procedure on a newborn successfully. The baby, suffering from severe jaundice, is now stable and recovering fast, doctors at the hospital said.

Nandakumar (30) and Shobanavalli (25) from Konniayaru village near Thiruchengode had their first child on October 5, 2013. The infant, whose blood group was different from the mother’s, had a severe attack of newborn jaundice and was in a critical condition.

The child was rushed to the Thiruchengode government hospital on October 6 and a three-hour-long blood transfusion took place at the hospital. Doctors at the GH said they had replaced 480 mg of blood from the newborn through the navel following the procedure.

“Now the child is recovering very well and is stable. The jaundice is almost cured and the baby is healthy,” said Dr Prakash from the hospital. He pointed out that while patients usually have to go to bigger cities like Salem or Coimbatore to do these transfusions in the past, government taluk hospitals were now equipped with facilities to perform such complicated procedures.

“Thanks to the insurance scheme for poor, our hospital also gets paid for the treatment given to poor through insurance companies which has helped us procure latest equipment for care of mother and child,” he said.

source: http://www.deccanchronicle.com / Deccan Chronicle / Home> News> Current affairs / DC / October 13th, 2013