Strategies for neonatal care during the COVID-19 pandemic: a lower middle-income country perspective

Authors

  • Rajat Grover Department of Neonatology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
  • Shantanu Shubham Department of Neonatology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India
  • Sriparna Basu Department of Neonatology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2349-3291.ijcp20211695

Keywords:

COVID-19 pandemic, Low and middle income countries, Neonatal care

Abstract

COVID-19 has transformed into an all-encompassing pandemic affecting all levels of healthcare throughout the globe. The strains on healthcare systems have been evident even in the most developed countries. Low and middle income countries (LMICs), especially India, find themselves in a precarious situation due to limited resources, poor healthcare worker population ratios and a bigger population. Multiple factors can exponentially increase the actual effect of a pandemic on the vulnerable neonates and infants even though the disease itself may be less lethal for them. The situation was complicated by the implementation of lockdowns. We discuss the implications for neonatal care that such a pandemic has in LMICs and elucidate the strategies we have implemented to provide continuity of care during the pandemic. We also share our experience of providing neonatal care and summarise the patient load witnessed in a specific context of a level-3 NICU in a government multi-speciality hospital of an LMIC.

 

Keywords: Covid-19 pandemic; Low- and middle-income countries; Neonatal care

Author Biographies

Rajat Grover, Department of Neonatology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India

DM Senior Resident (Academic)

Neonatology

Department of Neonatology

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India 

Shantanu Shubham, Department of Neonatology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India

DM Senior Resident (Academic), Neonatology

MD Pediatrics

Department of Neonatology

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India 

Sriparna Basu, Department of Neonatology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India

Professor and Head of the Department

MD, DCH, MAMS, FNNF, FRCPI, FRCPCH, MSc Neonatology from University of Southampton

Department of Neonatology

All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India 

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Published

2021-04-27

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Review Articles