The Queen Elizabeth Hospital officially opened a provincial Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) today, October 15, with help from the Minister of Health and Social Services, members of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Auxiliary, physicians, hospital employees, volunteers and patients. As part of the grand opening, the hospital offered tours of the NICU from 2:30 to 4:30 pm (subject to the status of patients in the unit). All hospital and health care workers and the general public were welcome.
The new Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is designed to provide planned speciality care for pre-mature babies born at 32 weeks and up. As well, it provides specialty care for infants born earlier than 32 weeks, who are returned from hospitals out of province for ongoing care, and their mothers.
"We estimate between 15 and 20 infants and their mothers will benefit from the services to be provided by the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit," says Dr. Ron Siemens, Head of the Department of Pediatric Services at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
The NICU also will result in increased clinical capacity at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and fewer transports to hospitals off-Island. Queen Elizabeth Hospital physicians referred 16 babies (32 to 34 weeks of age) and 11 mothers to Halifax for care last year. In 1995-1996, there were 1,685 babies born on Prince Edward Island. Of these, 65 percent were born at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
"The Unit will serve babies and their families when they need it the most," says Anne MacIsaac, President of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Auxiliary. "The Auxiliary has donated $500,000 to purchase equipment and fund renovations for the new nursery because we believe Island babies and families deserve this vital service."