Neonatal Resuscitation, a lifesaving gesture for newborns at Kirundo Hospital
It is 7 am and a newborn baby girl, who is crying in the hands of the nurse, is placed on newly installed neonatal mobile resuscitation table
Through the Japanese Government Fund, UNICEF supported Kirundo Hospital with essential maternal and newborn equipment. Until recently, the neonatology services did not have an adequate comprehensive resuscitation unit but thanks to this donation, this hospital is now enhanced to effectively manage newborn care .
“The neonatal unit was using the warming table and could only treat hypothermic cases. The lack of space, equipment and materials to improve the quality of care for newborns is the major cause of neonatal mortality," said Dr. Serges Ndikokubwayo, the Medical Director of Kirundo Hospital.
The warming table does not have an attached oxygen supply therefore newborns with respiratory complication were at high risk of irreversible airway lesions and even death as a result of the routine warming table usage.
Members of the neonatal unit reaffirm the added value of the newborn resuscitation unit, which is equipped with heat lamps, oxygen extractors and also provides for a quality health and safety of neonates under resuscitation.
Staff capacity building, a keystone tool for Newborn resuscitation
As the designated referral facility, Kirundo hospital was chosen to develop the training of health personnel from the neonatology service on basic and comprehensive obstetrical and neonatal care through a mentorship Approach.
"When I saw a newborn who started breathing with difficulty, I had to wait for a neonatal specialist to treat him, but now that I know we have a neonatal resuscitation corner in the delivery room, I can easily give the baby emergency care and prevent a health condition from deteriorating," says the nurse who was monitoring two newborns in resuscitation.
Newborn resuscitation requires specific competencies and specialized monitoring during the first minutes of newborn life. As a result of the mentorship training on Essential Obstetric and Neonatal Care, the newly trained staff can perform at high competences to ensure newborn resuscitation is carried out in very effective and unharmful way. Five nurses have been trained on successful neonatal resuscitation, the correct use of the specialized equipment and maintenance. Feedback sessions are planned to ensure all service providers are comfortable and with the right skills to use basic equipment needed for simple infant resuscitation.
Given the large number of referrals to this hospital for maternal, newborn and child care services, this support has helped ease the burden of the neonatal resuscitation. Despite the remaining challenges at Kirundo Hospital, the Director expressed optimism for the future, given the good partnership that exists, such as the fruitful collaboration between UNICEF, JICA and Kirundo Hospital.
