Kozhikode: Reacting to the DC's story, ‘Bystanders turn nurses at MCH’ on May 10, health minister K.K. Shylaja’s office has said that of the total 721 new nursing posts sanctioned by the government, 232 are to various hospitals in Kozhikode district.

“The government has made 2,256 new appointments in health department after assuming office within a year. As many as 417 temporary staff members were regularised, and 279 differently abled people were given an appointment,” said the information from the minister’s office.


The DC story was on the sad plight of bystanders forced to do the role of nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) of the Institute of Maternal and Child Health (IMCH) at Kozhikode Government Medical College Hospital for the acute loss of nurses.

Two relatives of a newborn admitted in the critical care unit of the NICU had to pump in the air (operate artificial manual breathing unit (AMBU) bag by squeezing it manually to push air into lungs) for the respiration of the child continuously for 24 hours.

The danger is that manual squeezing of the AMBU will cause entering of more or less oxygen into the lungs of the newborn according to the force of the squeezing which is risky.

If a ventilator is provided, it could be done in scientific and professional manner. There are only five ventilators in the NICU, and the defunct are not repaired. Of the new nursing posts sanctioned, 95 are for IMCH alone, and it is expected to end the woes to an extent.