Lakshmidevamma Shankarashetty Maternity Hospital to admit non-COVID patients

By M.T. Yogesh Kumar

Mysore/Mysuru: The maternity section of Seth Mohandas Tulsidas (SMT) Hospital — built and inaugurated to exclusively treat COVID-infected pregnant women — has been declared open three days back and 24 women are availing treatment here. 

Over 50 beds have been reserved for pregnant women and an exclusive section has been earmarked at the Hospital. The existing 24 patients including neo-natal mothers at the 30-bed Lakshmidevamma Shankarashetty Maternity Hospital at Jayalakshmipuram have been shifted to Tulsidas Hospital. 

Tulsidas Hospital Nodal Officer Dr. A.P. Somashekar, speaking to Star of Mysore said that henceforth all COVID-infected pregnant women and mothers will be treated here and they will be examined by the doctors for the virus load, stages of pregnancy and the appropriate treatment required. “We have advanced facilities like operation theatre, ICUs, labour ward and top-notch treatment will be provided,” he added. 

There are four ICUs at Tulsidas Hospital and three ventilators are available. There are 43 oxygenated beds. Both dedicated Antenatal Care or ANC (first contact with the health care system when a woman is expecting) and Postnatal Care (PNC) (care given to the new-born baby immediately after birth) facilities are available here. 

Patients are treated with the help of doctors at Cheluvamba Hospital and Health and Family Welfare Department and they work in three shifts. “We have 15 paediatricians, 15 obstetricians and 10 anaesthetists at our disposal and we have good number of nurses too,” Somashekar said. 

Lakshmidevamma Shankarashetty Hospital

The State-run Lakshmidevamma Shankarashetty Maternity Hospital at Jayalakshmipuram (V.V. Puram) has done yeoman service to COVID-infected pregnant women since the first wave and has so far successfully delivered 497 babies. When the first wave struck Mysuru there was a desperate need for an exclusive hospital for infected pregnant women as the District Hospital had been converted into a COVID Hospital. 

The then Mysuru Deputy Commissioner Abhiram G. Sankar had asked Lakshmidevamma Shankarashetty Maternity Hospital authorities to make exclusive arrangements and a dedicated hospital took birth within days and was opened on April 2, 2020. Prior to this, no infected pregnant woman was being admitted to any Private Hospital because of the fear factor.

Under the guidance of Cheluvamba Hospital Medical Superintendent Dr. Sudha Rudrappa and head of Gynaecology Department Dr. Sudha, Dr. Malathi served as the Administrative Officer of Lakshmidevamma Shankarashetty Maternity Hospital and efficiently discharged her duties. After she was shifted to the District Hospital, Dr. Kempegowda served as the Administrative Officer. 

Pregnant women are at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19 and they are vulnerable to infection because of the changes in their body and weaker immune system. Though it was a huge challenge, the Hospital employees were extra cautious to ensure that no harm was caused to either mother or the new-born. All measures were followed to ensure that the babies do not contract any virus.

At present, as the existing patients have been shifted to Seth Mohandas Tulsidas Hospital, the Shankarashetty Maternity Hospital as been completely sanitised for two days and has been opened as a 30-bed Non-COVID Maternity Hospital. Even the OPD has started functioning and already six women are being treated here.