The Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) is in need of machinery to accommodate the number of premature babies it treats in its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) annually, says head of the department of paediatrics Dr Angela Jennings.
She disclosed this after a recent donation from the Solange Zervos Trust to the unit, explaining that the hospital was just short of the ideal number of incubators it should have.
She said a complement of 25 new incubators would suffice and a proper maintenance regime would be needed to upkeep the old equipment.
The hospital currently has 19, including the one that was donated by the Trust.
“We average about 2 300 babies every year and of that we get about 450 babies on the unit,” she said. “Majority of those babies on the unit are premature and would require some sort of assistance. Babies are also admitted to the unit if they have not transitioned well from life in the womb to life outside, have infections, congenital abnormalities or other abnormalities.”
Jennings added that a baby could stay in an incubator for a few days and up to a few months depending on the severity of its condition.
During the presentation, one of the members of the Solange Zervos Trust, who is also the sister of Zervos, Monique Johnson, said the donation was in tribute to her sister who died tragically in 1998.
Zervous, a past student of the St Winifred’s School, died of dengue haemorrhagic fever at eight years old. Johnson described her as a loving and compassionate child who loved helping others. She would have celebrated her 30th birthday last Monday.
The incubator, which cost $50 000, was purchased with the help of proceeds from a family friend who met Zervos just before she passed.
Jennings said public/private collaborations were important, adding that such donations helped the hospital to progress and improve its service. (SB)
