With the support of Mann Sarkar’s ‘Mukhyamantri Sehat Yojana’, a newborn born at 33 weeks won the battle of life in NICU.

A newborn’s first cry should bring relief, but sometimes it also brings silence. A baby girl was born in Agarwal Hospital, Rampura Phul in Bathinda district, but the fight for her life had just begun.

having difficulty breathing

Born at just 33 weeks, the daughter of Resham Singh and Gurmail Kaur came into this world very prematurely and in a very delicate condition. Her weight was only 1.926 kg, which is much less than the normal full-term birth weight (about 2.5 to 4 kg). He was having difficulty breathing from the very first moment of birth. It was not possible to breathe without medical help. There was no scope for wasting time in such circumstances.

Dr. Surinder Aggarwal (MD Pediatrics), who has 24 years of experience, along with his team started the treatment immediately. The baby was admitted to the NICU, where machines were doing the work that her underdeveloped lungs were not able to do. Every heartbeat and every breath were being monitored on monitors—every moment was uncertain, every moment was important.

After this, continuous care and proper treatment continued for 17 days. The newborn was given continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) support for 10 days, followed by oxygen support for 4 days. During this time the girl developed jaundice, which was treated with phototherapy. Limited kangaroo mother care provided careful nutrition to provide warmth and stability without impairing his delicate condition.

Dr. Aggarwal said, “Improvement in NICU does not come suddenly, it comes gradually with steady signs.” Gradually improvement started appearing.

Breathing started becoming normal. Responses improved. The fragile body which was struggling earlier started becoming stronger day by day. Dr. Aggarwal said, “Many times saving a child depends not only on treatment but on the right time. Even a slight delay can change everything.”

There was no delay in this matter. Under the Mukhyamantri Swasthya Yojana, the family got cashless treatment, so that the doctor could focus completely on treatment without any financial worries.

Discharged after 17 days of treatment

After 17 days of treatment, the girl was discharged in stable condition. Now his weight is 2.106 kg. Although he is still delicate, he is much healthier than before. The newborn came out of the hospital alive, stable and healthy in the arms of her parents.

In another case, Maninder Singh of Hoshiarpur shared his experience. Their daughter Gurkeerat Kaur, born on April 14 this year, also required neonatal care after birth. “He received good treatment at the hospital and the entire expense was covered under the Chief Minister Health Card,” he said.

The registration was completed on the same day and now the family is getting health cover up to Rs 10 lakh every year.

Maninder Singh thanked

Thanking Maninder Singh, he said, “That’s why ‘Mukhyamantri Swasthya Yojana’ is very important. Even a person who struggles to meet his daily needs can get better treatment for his child. This is a big thing.”

There is still silence in the NICU of Punjab, but now it is not filled with fear but with hope. This hope is very quiet and still, in which the monitor shows the heartbeat of a little one growing stronger every day, and sometimes this silence and stillness is enough to change everything.