New Year Baby Joy!

by Nilma DOLE

Expectant mothers are wheeled quickly into the operating theatre, fathers wipe the sweat from their brows hoping that everything goes smoothly, mid-wives scurry around and doctors ensure that nothing goes wrong amidst the cry of babies. The bustling scene at the De Soyza Maternity hospital became popular on New Year's Day with the birth of the first baby born at Ward 15. It was the first time that the First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa greeted these cute babies. The function, coordinated by the Health Committee of the hospital, put a smile on everyone's face on the first of January 2010. Being there to witness the joy of a New Year born, the gracious lady also gave donations to every family with special donations given by the Rotaract Club and collections obtained by the Health Committee spearheaded by Dr. Badurdin.

With the dawn of peace, the beginning of the year 2010 looks to be promising and what better way of celebrating it by welcoming the new-borns.

Speaking to the Sunday Observer was the Director of the De Soyza Maternity Hospital, Dr. Sumith Ananda who said, "We have been having special events to commemorate the birth of a new year baby and this time since it was a special peace New Year, Madam Shiranthi Rajapaksa was also kind enough to grace the occasion with us." The doctor said that on average about 30 births occur everyday at the hospital which includes everything from normal to Caesarean births free of charge. "It isn't easy because the government spends close to nearly Rs. 40,000 for every patient but it is a community service for those who can't afford private healthcare treatment." The doctor said that they have a team of about 12 consultants and 30 nurses and mid-wives who help steer the hospital forward.

Kumudini’s baby

Fathima’s baby

Rizana’s New Year gift

"We are keen on improving our technology but at the same time, we would greatly appreciate donations as we need essentials like sleeping mattresses and of course incubator machines for the babies since we have just four", he said.

In addition to this, there is a building that needs to be constructed in order to house more equipment that is vital to uplift the health of mothers and infants. The hospital also has a university unit with a team of professors working round the clock to ensure strict standards are maintained.

Krishnawani’s baby

Apsara’s baby boy

Janaki’s baby

Pix: Sarath Weerasinghe

Compared to other countries in the South Asian region, Sri Lanka has a lower maternal mortality rate and child survival figures but resources are still needed. "We are somehow managing with our existing resources but a helping hand is always welcome," said Dr. Ananda. He added, "We have experienced and qualified professionals and are geared to understand the healthcare system better because of the number of cases we have handled."

The doctor also said, "The former Director Dr. Kaliyagoda put strong emphasis on quality control and improvement and we are still maintaining it to an optimum level." Hence, the hospital has won a prestigious quality title, the Akimoto award for Best 5S implementation in the service sector with a vision statement of 'Quality care through a contented workforce.'

Also giving a statement was Dr. Dissanayake who said, "The De Soyza Maternity Hospital is also renowned for its good preventive healthcare program where constant checks are done on the mother and baby to make sure that the delivery process runs smooth."

The special grade nursing officers Matron S. Wijetilleke and Matron R. P. Habakkella have been checking on the status of the healthy deliveries and overseeing if there are any complications. Says Matron Wijetilleke, "we can guarantee that every mother who has walked through our doors was well-looked after and this is evident because other hospitals refer patients who they can't cure, to us as a last resort."

The 2010 New Year baby was a cuddly girl who was delivered at 12:44 a.m. via normal birth at the Ward 15 by N. M. Sandya Kumari, a 32-year old resident of Ratmalana. The baby was a bouncing bundle of joy weighing 2.950kg. Speaking to the Sunday Observer, Sandya said, "Even though my husband Kapila Weeramanthri works as an auditor in a garment factory, we have been facing financial hardships. We live in my husband's ancestral house sharing it with many others and don't have a place to call our own." She also said that it is difficult to feed their three children as the salary her husband draws is totally insufficient. The baby girl has already been named as Thinara Sathsarani Weeramanthri and she is the third baby after a 6-year-old brother, Risidu Dulan and 3-year-old sister, Akesha Sithmadi. "The nurses, doctors and Matron S. Wijetilleke were especially helpful during my labour and I didn't have any problems during the birth," said Sandya.

Overall, the director and his staff thank their associate hospitals, the NHSL, the Health Services DG's office and other senior health officials including the Minister for making the De Soysa Maternity Hospital a well-equipped institution.