Safe Hands of SNCU for survival of child at Ekam Foundation Supported SNCU facility which specializes in neonatal care and management- In Chhattisgarh.

Kondagaon, Chhattisgarh: Akalbati Sethiya, resident of kungarpal village – district Bastar is a proud mother of a young baby girl. The only difference is that unlike most new babies born healthy, her girl had to fight to survive.

Weighing just 2.2 kgs at birth despite being a full term baby, Akalbati Sethiya poor diet and unstable emotional condition affected the baby growth in the womb. “She would not eat well and keep getting very angry all through her pregnancy which caused her to have such a weak baby,” said Akalbati Sethiya’s mother. “We did not expect her baby to survive. That’s why as soon as she went into labour we brought her to the Sick Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) in Kondagaon, where the doctors and nurses took good care of him and the baby is doing well now. “during the discharge 26.2.2019 baby weight was 2.3 kg.

Follow-up card has been provided to mother to ensure facility follow-up.

Facility Visit Follow-up	Weight Gain
8th Day - 1st Follow-up	2.7 Kg
30th Day - 2nd Visit	3.8 Kg
3rd Month - 3rd Visit	5.3 kg
6th Month - 4th Visit	6.9 kg
1 Year - 5th Visit	8.3kg

The baby was born in 24th Feb 2019 at district hospital Kondgaon – full term baby , with perinatal asphyxia "This time my baby survived I believe because of SNCU where he was brought soon after birth. I am happy that despite being so small he is feeding well and gaining strength. All thanks to care he is receiving at this special hospital for babies."

"The initiation of such a facility was made keeping in view that Kondgaon has an infant mortality rate much higher than the State average. “An urgent need was felt for specialized care for neonates apart from highly skilled neonatal care and support which can bring down the infant mortality rate in the district."

Such success stories are becoming common ever since SNCU was set up 1 Year by EKAM Foundation and UNICEF with the help of Department of Health & Family Welfare , Govt. of Chhattisgarh.

Everyday a new success story is created at the SNCU. Most cases, however, have not been recorded. To address this information gap, the facility is putting systems in place to capture the information.

Linking additional services to make the initiative sustainable

"Most children when discharged are quite well and the doctors here ask the mothers to bring them back for a follow up checkup”,. Now we are working on a system to keep a record of patients’ addresses and telephone numbers and a health worker will be sent to make a  HBNC follow-up check on the wellbeing of the child and mother post their discharge from the hospital."

Another facility to be provided to the pregnant women and critically ill patients in surrounding villages is a transportation facility.