One-day-old baby treated for rare congenital anomaly of intestines in Pathankot Military Hospital

Doctors at Pathankot Military Hospital in Punjab had to treat a one-day-old baby with rare congenital anomaly of intestines without a pediatrician as they could not arrange one due to the lockdown, a defense spokesperson said on Saturday. The baby, born out of a caesarian section last week, was suspected to have Hirschsprung's Disease, Jammu-based Army PRO Lt Col Devender Anand said in a statement.

He said a prompt diagnosis was made but the condition of the baby was critical and he was not fit for transfer to the nearest pediatric surgery centre of the Armed Forces, Chandimandir, due to the coronavirus lockdown. Surgical specialist of Pathankot Military Hospital Major Adil Abdul Kalam performed the intricate and challenging operation of opening up the abdomen of the new born baby who was on a ventilator, Lt Col Anand said.

He said this was for the first time in the Armed Forces Medical Services wherein such an intricate operation on a newborn has been performed at a zonal hospital with no pediatric surgeon, pediatric anesthesiologist or neonatologist. "The operation was performed in emergency which even if delayed by a few minutes could have resulted in exacerbation of multi organ failure, leading to death," the statement said.

"It was an extremely challenging and stressful task to manage the case successfully despite absence of super specialty facilities," the doctor said. The baby is now taken off the ventilator and is on the way to a healthy recovery, the release said.