New machine at KHMH saves lives
Much of the news we report out of the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital does not inspire confidence…but today brings the kind of story that we’d like to see more of. Jose Sanchez reports.
Jose Sanchez, Reporting
The KHMH is one step closer to providing the health care that most Belizeans desire. The staff of the Special Care Baby Unit has received a machine, which will help premature infants who cannot breathe on their own. But in addition to the machine, the hospital also received training from experts in managing the equipment and patients.
Katie Sabato, Respiratory Care Specialist
“We came down with over fifty thousand dollars worth in equipment that was donated by individual manufacturers in the United States. And we also came with our own clinical experience with the hopes that we could at least start training the staff here and how to provide life support beyond the basics, so that some of these children who were born premature will have the chance for life.”
“What we’re actually teaching is that once the child who needs support, once the breather tube is actually put down their lungs, they need, they need to be supported with a machine that can artificially ventilate them. We’re training specifically the nurses on how to set up that machine and set up the parameters to safe, effectively and efficiently provide support for the pediatric patients so they can get through whatever insults they suffer, so they can have the breathing tubes pulled out successfully and without lung damage and they can leave this hospital to enjoy life.”
And as the experts taught the nurses, a three-pound child was born prematurely Sunday night with lung disease. Under normal circumstances the child might have died, but the respirator and nurses care are allowing it to breathe and perhaps a second chance at life.
Dr. Grinage, Special Care Baby Unit
“This baby has what we call Grade four, which is the most premature type of lung disease. And this baby was breathing and it was going to collapse any minute. By putting the baby on the ventilator we saved its life and by keeping the baby on the ventilator in a proper way and monitoring it closely we?re hoping to keep the baby alive until the lungs get better and then we feed the baby on the ventilator if we’re that good. And then hopefully we can discharge the baby home to its mother like any normal baby.”
“We see this as a great leap forward because this probably the first baby, new born that has ever been mechanically ventilated in the history of Belize at government hospitals on a whole. And we want to continue to provide this service in a safe way so it prolongs lives, not ends them.”
Reporting for News 5, Jose Sanchez.
The new machine was acquired through the efforts of Rotary International, while the nurses’ assistance was facilitated by Dr. Grinage and the KHMH.
