225 COVID-19 Positive Pregnant Women Deliver Healthy Babies At Tripura Hospital

Agartala: At least 225 COVID-19 positive pregnant women have delivered healthy babies at the Agartala Government Medical College (AGMC) here during the two waves of the coronavirus and the newborns were not found to be infected with the virus post-delivery, an official said. During the first wave, as many as 198 COVID-19 infected women gave birth to babies, of which 60 were caesarean cases. The figure stood at 27 during the second wave, said Dr Jayanta Ray, Head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of AGMC.

Also Read: Pregnancy In The Times Of A Pandemic: What Impact Can COVID-19 Have On Moms-To-Be And Babies

At least 225 corona infected pregnant women delivered healthy babies and the newborn babies were not infected by the virus due to utmost care taken by the doctors and the healthcare staff. It was a big challenge to the doctors to bring smiles to the infected mothers, said Dr Ray.

“A pregnant mother needs the best care, which was quite a challenging task during the pandemic. But, our doctors and other healthcare staff did their best to ensure the safety of both the mothers and the newborns with the highest standard of hygiene,” he said.

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Dr Ray said that some doctors and healthcare staff handling such cases were infected by the virus, but they ensured the safety of the children from infection.

Shortage of skilled manpower and lack of infrastructures are common issues in any small state. But, the way the Paediatrics and Gynaecology section of the AGMC managed the situation and conducted successful deliveries, even in case of critical cases, has set an example, he said.

Also Read: COVID Antibodies Are Transferred From Pregnant Women To Their Babies

Dr Sanjib Debbarma, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, pointed out that the AGMC and GBP hospital was the only designated unit for the COVID-infected expectant mothers during the first wave.

In the first wave, the workload on the AGMC and GBP hospital was high as compared to the second wave of the virus since it was the only designated unit for giving care to the Covid-infected expectant mothers. However, we managed things smoothly to ensure the safety of both the mother and the infants, the Medical Superintendent said.

Also Read: Opinion: Safeguarding The Health Of Mothers During The COVID-19 Pandemic

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

NDTV – Dettol Banega Swasth India campaign is an extension of the five-year-old Banega Swachh India initiative helmed by Campaign Ambassador Amitabh Bachchan. It aims to spread awareness about critical health issues facing the country. In wake of the current COVID-19 pandemic, the need for WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) is reaffirmed as handwashing is one of the ways to prevent Coronavirus infection and other diseases. The campaign highlights the importance of nutrition and healthcare for women and children to prevent maternal and child mortality, fight malnutrition, stunting, wasting, anaemia and disease prevention through vaccines. Importance of programmes like Public Distribution System (PDS), Mid-day Meal Scheme, POSHAN Abhiyan and the role of Aganwadis and ASHA workers are also covered. Only a Swachh or clean India where toilets are used and open defecation free (ODF) status achieved as part of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2014, can eradicate diseases like diahorrea and become a Swasth or healthy India. The campaign will continue to cover issues like air pollution, waste management, plastic ban, manual scavenging and sanitation workers and menstrual hygiene.