South babies bounce back from hospital illness

ONE of three babies warded at San Fernando General Hospital (SFGH) and being treated for the enterobacter bacteria, has been cured and other victims are well on their way to recovery. Confirming this yesterday, Chairman of the South-West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA), Imtiaz Ahamad, said that within the next 48 hours, “all the babies would have been cleared”. Ahamad disclosed however, that another baby on the neonatal ward had contracted the illness, but the child’s condition was not serious.

Of the seven babies on the ward who fell ill, Ahmad told Newsday yesterday, only three were clinically confirmed to have contracted the enterobacter virus. The bacteria to which the newborn are susceptible are transmitted in infected medical instruments, clothing and droplets. Ahamad assured that hospital authorities had taken all steps to ensure the situation was brought under control. “We must be mindful that the enterobacter bacteria manifests itself under certain conditions, and we are taking all the necessary precautions to ensure that it is brought under control.” Ahamad visited the ward with the SWRHA CEO Mike Harris yesterday after a decanting procedure in which the neonatal ward was sanitised.