16:02 | 12.02.15 | News | 3544

Hrazdan Maternity House receives neonatal care equipment from VivaCell-MTS

VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian and neonatologist Dr Arshak Djerdjerian, representing “BirthLink”, visited the maternity department in the Hrazdan medical center today.

More than 1,000 babies are born at this hospital every year; therefore it is essential they have the facilities to manage premature or sick newborns. The hospital has received equipment for immediate reanimation and warming of sick and small babies, nasal high flow therapy for newborns with breathing difficulties, respiratory monitoring, management of jaundice and the provision of intravenous fluids. The provided equipment will help support sick and low birth weight babies after delivery, with provision to stabilize babies before transfer to Yerevan, if necessary, but also enable the hospital to take care of some babies without transferring, and staying close to their mothers. By improving facilities, transfer of some babies can be avoided. In addition to the equipment being provided, education, training and support for the medical staff continues.

This is now the seventh year of cooperation between the “BirthLink” and VivaCell-MTS within the course of this cooperation twelve neonatal departments in Yerevan and twenty-three departments in seven regions of Armenia have received neonatal care equipment and training for the medical staff. VivaCell-MTS has donated about AMD 535 million to the project.

“One of the meanings of life is in having an heir to whom you pass your values, give guidance, and have contribution in making your children a valuable member of the society so that they pass on all these to their offspring. It is the biggest dream of every family, and it is not hard to imagine the feelings the parents have when their newborn child is sick. In such cases, much depends on timely medical aid. Yet, even the most qualified doctor can be helpless if he does not have the necessary equipment at his disposition.  It will be terrible if the doctors fail to save the child’s life just because of the lack of equipment. It is the decreasing these risks that the joint program with “BirthLink” NGO is targeted at,” commented VivaCell-MTS General Manager Ralph Yirikian.

The “Every Newborn” action plan, led by the World Health Organization and the UNICEF, believe that nearly 3 million babies and women can be saved each year through investing in quality healthcare around the time of birth and special care for sick and small newborns.

More than 80% of all newborn deaths result from preventable and treatable conditions – in particular complications due to prematurity and infections. Improving quality of care around the time of birth will save most lives, but needs healthcare professionals with good knowledge and well equipped facilities to make the difference.