PESHAWAR: The 46-bed neonatal intensive care unit has become operational at theBacha Khan Medical Complex, Swabi, to provide modern care to newborns. BKMC director Dr Khalid Masud told that the unit, established with the Unicef’s assistance, was the largest in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa catering to patients not only from Swabi but from Buner, Swat, Chitral, Dir, Haripur and Attock districts as well. He said that the medical complex had secured the services of qualified neonatologist and was in the process of getting recognition from the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan to pave the way for postgraduate training in neonatology as they were desperately needed in the province, Khalid said that the BKMC had 450 beds, with 120 and 110 beds in the affiliated Topi and Lahore hospitals, to ensure visitors get the best possible care and aren’t referred to hospitals outside their districts. Unicef provided assistance for establishment of 46-bed facility “Neonatology is a rare specialty required to treat patients from birth to the next 30 days. We aim to bring down mortality and save infants from avoidable deaths,” he said. The director said that the complex was in the process of finding intensivists (critical care doctors) in the near future. “This new facility has been established at a cost of Rs28 million,” he said, adding that the Unicef has pledged to solarise the hospital to ensure uninterrupted power supply. “This neonatal care unit is the first of its kind in the province, offering comprehensive, high-quality and essential care to newborns,” he said. Khalid said that the unit would also reduce patient burden on hospitals in Mardan and even in Peshawar where patients were referred to from the entire province. Assistant professor Dr Inayatullah, who heads the new facility, told that Unicef head lead Dr Inamullah Khan played a key role in the establishment of the first NICU, which was equipped with the latest and modern equipment to provide both invasive and non-invasive ventilation backed by a critical monitoring system. “Keeping in mind the highest cause of mortality in newborns, such as prematurity, we have made a four-bed kangaroo mother care unit and seven-bed mother care unit operational to provide care to premature and low birth weight babies,” he said. The neonatologist said the KMC offered an evidence-based intervention, which promised weight gain, cognitive improvement, and behavioural improvement in premature babies. “It has 100pc bed occupancy with all facilities for premature babies and their mothers. We aim to enhance learning and teaching, and recently sent one staff nurse and one doctor for KMC training to the Postgraduate Medical Institute in Peshawar,” he said. Inayatullah said healthcare providers required modern training on a specialty which didn’t have the required trained people. He said the state-of-the-art facility also included a critical bay unit, high dependency unit, and an isolation unit to ensure that neonates receive all services under one roof. Inamullah of Unicef said his organisation had been working closely with the provincial government to ensure the provision of better health services to children. He said neonatal mortality was a big public health issue in the country, with around 700 newborns dying daily, mostly from preventable and manageable causes. “Unfortunately, most of these deaths occur in rural areas. We need to promote home-based newborn care,” he said. The Unicef’s representative said theestablishment of Level 2 newborn intensive care units at all district headquarters hospitals was required to cope with the issues facing neonates.