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In a community hospital it may often be difficult to establish pediatric priorities. The first need is for the correct questions to be asked and this requires imagination, thoughtfulness and courage in addition to personal experience gained in the practice of pediatrics. The answers to the questions however cannot be complete and will need to be reviewed constantly and critically in the light of results achieved and the needs and ever-changing conditions of the community.
The department of child health and its neonatal service had the difficult responsibility to tailor health care programme to suit the needs of the Annanagar community. The resident population of Annanagar was quite different from that of its surrounding areas. This was a predominantly aged upper middle class population. The pediatric department was planned with this in mind with an accent on child health development and prevention of disease.
The service, which began as a one-man department, has today grown. We have a department comprising five full-time pediatricians, several part time consultants in pediatrics and sub specialities and a house officer in addition to 4 postgraduates . The numbers of patients attending, clinics too have increased. As the needs of the community today are different we intend improving and increasing services for the pediatric population of Annanagar.
The Department of Pediatrics at SMF is a tertiary care level department focusing on both preventive and therapeutic aspects of child care. Being part of a community hospital, we take care of children from all strata of society.
Facilities available Routine outpatient services: which include well baby check ups, Immunization and routine child evaluation with an emphasis on good health and habits.
Pediatric inpatient services: We have 23 exclusive beds for children. We usually treat children with common illness including diseases like dengue, acute gastroenteritis, acute respiratory infections and typhoid fever. Tertiary care and critical care facilities are available in this hospital.
Emergency care, critical care and tertiary care facilities are available with house registrars available to take care of these sick children.
Neonatal services: We provide neonatal resuscitation for all complicated deliveries and all caesarean sections in our hospital. We do routine postnatal rounds to identify problems in the newborn at the earliest. We advise on proper breastfeeding and routine newborn care to all parents. There is a level II nursery in our department to take care of preterm, low birth weight babies and sick newborns. There is also an NICU where tertiary level care is provided for extremely sick newborn, both inborns and outborns. Prenatal services and counseling are offered.
Developmental pediatrics: As a part of AKASH (Centre for children with cerebral palsy) we provide developmental assessment and guidance to children with special needs.
SMF is one of the major centres involved in CINRG (Co-operative International Neuromuscular Research Group) - a global, multicentre study of children with muscular dystrophy.
School health services: We conduct routine child health checkups to nearby private schools. We have the Sundaram Arokiam plan, for which we conduct routine child health checkups and supply medicines free of cost to a nearby school meant for Adi-Dravidas. Specialty divisions The department is backed by specialists in the following divisions: - Neonatology
- Pediatric neurology
- Pediatric cardiology
- Pediatric gastroenterology
- Pediatric nephrology
- Pediatric surgery and urology
- Pediatric neurosurgery.
Postgraduate education and CME activities- Two in-house training programme per year-Our postgraduates
- We have training programmes in practical pediatrics for students of Dip NB (Family Medicine).
- There is a regular teaching programme in pediatrics for house officers and trainees in pediatrics.
- The department conducts regular CMEs.
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