Eight Special Newborn Care Units will be set up in A.P., says Health Minister

Health, Family Welfare and Medical Education Minister Satya Kumar Yadav said eight new Special Newborn Care Units (SNCUs) along with 80 new beds (warmers) will soon be set up in government hospitals in Andhra Pradesh.

Each unit will cost ₹ 60 lakh, taking the total estimated cost of eight units to ₹ 4.80 crore, and the monthly operating cost of each unit will be ₹ 8.91 lakh, which will be approximately ₹ 1.07 crore for all the units.

The Health Minister said these units will work in Public-Private Partnership (PPP) mode. Services will start at four of these, proposed at Amalapuram District Hospital, Kuppam District Hospital, Guntakal District Hospital and Yemmiganur Community Health Centre, by the end of the month.

The Health Minister said that new units in district hospitals in Nuzvid, Kavali, Kadiri and Srikalahasti will also become operational soon.

Currently, there are 62 Special Newborn Care Units in the state, 28 of which are run by the government. They operate in teaching hospitals, district hospitals, district hospitals, and community health centers (CHCs). Of these, 11 SNCUs have 10 warmers each and 23 SNCUs have 5 warmers each, providing emergency neonatal care to babies in need.

The minister said neonatal centers have already been established in Anakapalli, Prathipadu, Hindupur and Nandyal.

In Special Newborn Care Units, babies are provided with healthcare services from birth until the 28th day. They offer treatment for babies with low birth weight, neonatal jaundice, hypothermia, respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and sepsis, among other conditions.