There has been a significant increase in the number of twins delivered at the Georgetown Public Hospital since the beginning of this year, a release yesterday from the Georgetown Public Hospital Corporation (GPHC) stated.
It noted that the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) has been kept busy with an uptick in twin births this year in twin births this year. In July, NICU cared for five sets of twins, followed by three sets in August, and with the month just beginning, it has already welcomed two sets for September.
According to the release, a total of 17 sets of twins have passed through NICU so far this year, reflecting a remarkable trend of multiple births, and prompting Dr Natasha France, one of GPHC’s gynaecologists to mirthfully remark, “It must be something in the water.”
The GPHC stated that its NICU which was officially opened in 2012, has come a long way since its early days when neonates were housed in wooden boxes with overhead bulbs as warmers. Today, the unit is equipped with state-of-the-art incubators, ventilators, and radiant warmers, among other advanced technologies, which have significantly improved neonatal care and reduced infant mortality rates.
Further, in recent years, NICU expanded to an 18-bed unit from 15 beds, with a step-down area that was increased to 25 beds after renovations were completed last year. The step-down area supports babies who no longer need intensive care but still require close monitoring. NICU cares for infants born as early as 28 weeks and weighing over 1,000 grammes, with average stays ranging from a few days to three to four months.
The NICU team includes four consultants, two senior registrars, three registrars, two general medical officers, paediatric residents, and rotating medical interns, while the nursing staff consists of registered nurses who have specialised training in neonatal intensive care.
In addition to its clinical expertise, GPHC disclosed that it is offering a Neonatal Intensive Care Programme through its Institute of Health Science Education (IHSE) in collaboration with the University of Guyana, to assist in the training of the next generation of neonatal care specialists.
