Setting up ICUs for newborns in every district

Over the years, Bangladesh has showed substantial progress in reducing under-five child and maternal mortality rate. However, the death rate of newborns remains static in the country, which is a matter of concern for us. Our country has one of the highest infant mortality rates in the world. According to a recent study, half of our newborns die before 28 days of their birth. The number of premature deaths of children is around 62,000 every year. And one of the main causes for this is that we do not have enough NICUs (newborn intensive care unit) in our hospitals.

NICU provides round-the-clock care to the sick or premature babies. It has health care providers who have special training and equipment to give newborns the best possible care. Currently, we reportedly have only 40 hospitals with NICU facilities. But every district needs at least one hospital with NICUs. Setting up such facilities in every district hospital can be a necessary step towards implementing the government's target of reducing the neonatal mortality rate to 12 per 1,000 by 2030. Also, steps should be taken to make the cost of NICUs affordable so that low-income people can also try their best to save their children.

Sifat Rabbani,

Student of Department of Political Science,

Jagannath University, Dhaka,

sifatrabbani787@gmail.com