CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE

PEDIATRICS - NARAYANA CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL

The provisional census population totals for Karnataka 2001 state that there is 15.7 million children aged 0-6 years in the state (Census 2001). The Infant Mortality Rate in Karnataka is estimated at 52 infant deaths per 1000 live births, and the Under five mortality rate at 70 per 1000. Almost 40% of children 1-2 years of age have not been fully vaccinated as prescribed by the National Immunisation program. (NFHS-2, 1998-99) This state of health of children is reflected in the large numbers of children requiring hospital-based care, outpatient or in-patient.

The Narayana Children’s Hospital will not only have all services under one roof, but these services will be administered by personnel specially sensitized to the care of children, in an environment designed around the child and her needs. In short the hospital will serve as a home, a school, and a place to get better (hospital).

The Hospital:

At present, we have started the neonatal surgery, pediatric surgery and pediatric urology and general pediatric and neonatal services. In addition one pediatric intensive care unit of 20 beds with all support equipment and staff is operational. This is in addition to the extensive infrastructure available for the cardiac and cardiac surgery services. In 3 months we will have facilities to treat 150 babies with both surgical and medical problems. A brand new children’s hospital facility with 500 beds is planned and will be ready in 2007. This will be a state of the art, child friendly and unique facility catering to the needs of our children and in keeping with our hospital-home-school concept.

In addition to providing routine tertiary level care for children of all ages our thrust at the Narayana Children’s Hospital will be to develop advanced pediatric care, make it affordable and, therefore, available to a larger number of patients.

In the surgical specialties we will accomplish the following:

1. Neonatal surgery. Our aim is to offer all neonates or infants who come to us with a problem high quality comprehensive care at the Narayana Children’s Hospital regardless of whether they can offered it or not. We are acutely aware that very often these problems befall young parents, often just married, who cannot afford these specialized treatments.

2. Minimally invasive surgery: equipment and expertise already exists to provide advanced laparoscopic surgery in children. Using this technology, operations that previously required relatively large incisions to treat conditions of the spleen, kidney, intestines and urinary bladder will now be successfully treated using laparoscopy.
   
   
3. Organ transplantation: With considerable prior experience in kidney transplantation in children we have already identified the team to perform both kidney and eventually liver transplantation.  Applications for permission from appropriate authorities are already underway.
   
   
4. Reconstructive and pediatric endo-urology: All children with complex urological anomalies can be successfully corrected.  The service has already conducted a number of reconstructive procedures.
   
5. Paediatric Oncology services:  All children’s tumors and cancers are treated.

The general pediatrics services provided include:

1. Neonatal Intensive care and New Born care:
2. General Pediatrics
3. Pediatric Intensive care and hig dependency care
4. Pediatric respiratory medicine and asthma
5. Pediatric gastroenterology and hepatology services (including endoscopy therapeutic endoscopy)
6. Pedaitric neurology service (including neurophysiology laboratory)
7. Pedaitric nephrology services (including dialysis)
8. Pediatric Hematology and bone marrow tranplant services
9. Nurtition services
10. Physiotherapy services

Clinical Genetics: Clinical genetics is an area fast gaining importance in the management of children with several disorders. All congenital anomalies and several metabolic disorders benefit from inputs for a Clinical Genetisist. Prenatal counseling in couples with a high risk pregnancy also forms a vital part of the overall care that we provide.

In the pediatric medical field we have already identified eminent faculty from India and abroad who will undertake research pertinent to our country and treat diseases in the fields of neonatology, pediatric pulmonology, hepatology and gastroenterology. Common problems like, asthma in childhood, the affect and treatment of HIV/AIDS in children and inflammatory bowel disease in the tropics needs to be urgently addressed.

Briefly, the Narayana Children’s Hospital will serve as an advanced paediatric centre for research, training and service.

The Faculty (Paediatric Surgery)

Prof.Ashley J D’cruz. MS, MCh. Senior Consultant and Director Children’s Hospital

Dr. Ashley is a Senior Paediatric Surgeon with over 20 years experience. He has been the Head of Department of Paediatric Surgery at St.John’s Medical College Hospital, Bangalore prior to taking on the current appointment.. He has also been a Consultant Paediatric Urologist at the St.James Hospital in Leeds UK. His areas of special interest include Paediatric Urology and Transplantation.

Dr. Sanjay Rao MS, Mch, FRCS (Paed.) Consultant Paedatric and Laparoscopic Surgeon

Dr. Sanjay Rao completed his Paediatric Surgical training from Bombay in 1997. He has had advanced training in Paediatric and Paediatric Laparoscopic surgery in Melbourne Australia and the UK. He was a Consultant Paediatric Surgeon at the Royal Aberdeen Children’s Hospital in the UK prior to joining Narayana Children’s Hospital. His areas of special interest include Paediatric Endoscopic and Laparoscopic surgery and surgical neonatal intensive care.

The Faculty (Paediatrics)

Dr. Rajiv Aggarwal, MD (Paed.)Consultant Paediatrician and Neonatologist.

Dr.Aggarwal completed his MD Paediatics from AIIMS New Delhi. He subsequently received advanced neonatal training in Australia. He has been instrumental in settting up the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in St.John’s Bangalore. He brings with him extensive experience and expertise in management of complex and sick neonates and children.

The Faculty (Clinical Genetics)

Dr.Meenakshi Bhat, MD (Paed), DCh, DNB, MRCP (Ire),CCST-Clinical Genetics, Consultant in Clinical Genetics

Dr M Bhat is a Paediatrician with super-specialty training in Clinical Genetics in London and was formerly working as a consultant in Clinical Genetics in Guy’s Hospital, London. She has been working as Consultant in Clinical Genetics at Narayana Hrudayalaya since Nov 2005. Genetic consultation and investigations for patients and families with chromosomal disorders, inherited birth defects, inherited metabolic disorders, skeletal dysplasias, ultrasound scan abnormalities in pregnancy, genetic investigation of recurrent miscarriages, familial cancers and family history of a genetic problem is available in this centre.

The Faculty ( Adult Hepatobiliary and Transplantation)

Dr.Sanjay Govil , Consultant Surgeon and Gastroenterologist

Dr. Sanjay Govil completed his postgraduate training from CMC Vellore. He subsequently received advance training in Hepatobiliary, pancreatic and transplantation surgery from UK and Japan. He was a Professor of Surgery in CMC Vellore before joining the team here at Narayana. He has extensive experience and expertise in complex liver, biliary and pancreatic surgery and also liver transplantation.