Rotary Club of Madras Donates Inhaled Nitric Oxide System to Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital

Chennai, November 14, 2023: The Rotary Club of Madras (RCM), through a CSR grant from Raj Petro Specialities Private Limited and Raj Charitable Foundation, donated medical equipment worth Rs. 18 lakhs to Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital today. 

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The 35 bed Neonatal ICU (NICU) of Kanchi Kamakoti CHILDS Trust Hospital, headed by Dr. N. Chandrakumar,  is one of the oldest NICUs in the country. It caters to newborn babies from the city of Chennai, rest of Tamil Nadu, southern Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring states. Since this NICU is a level IV referral unit, we receive very sick newborns who require the maximum level of life support. One such condition which requires advanced life support is persistent pulmonary hypertension in newborn (PPHN) wherein the blood pressure in the lungs does not fall after birth, as expected. As a result, the baby struggles to breathe because blood cannot pickup oxygen in the lungs. 

This can lead to failure of multiple organs in the body and eventually death of the baby if not treated in time.  One of the modalities available to treat PPHN is Inhaled Nitric oxide (iNO). This is a gas delivered through the ventilator which causes the blood pressure in the lungs to fall and thus improves oxygen delivery to the body. PPHN in newborn happens primarily due to lung diseases affecting the newborn baby, including aspiration of motion into the lung or infection.  It can also occur if the baby fails to breathe at birth (birth asphyxia).

This equipment will also be useful in treating older infants and children with severe lung disease, due  pneumonia or certain heart conditions. These children are managed by mechanical ventilation in the Pediatric ICU (PICU). The PICU at KKCTH, headed by Dr. Bala Ramachandran, has 21 beds and caters to children up to the age of 18 years from Tamil Nadu and southern Andhra Pradesh.

The “GeaNOx” inhaled Nitric Oxide system donated by The Rotary Club of Madras is manufactured by SOL Spa (Italy), It will enable us to care for extremely sick neonates and children and save their lives. This equipment is a major addition to the existing armamentaria available to care for sick neonates and children at KKCTH. 

Furthermore, the state-of-the-art equipment and facilities available at KKCTH are cost-effective and reduce the economic burden on the families of the neonates. Our commitment to offering quality care at an affordable cost aligns with our mission to nurture safe and healthy children for the future.

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