‘KATS’, the Newborn, Paediatric& Obstetric Emergency Transport Service is a regional service of Kangaroo Care Women and Children Hospital, Vijayanagar. It is the only service of its kind in West Bangalore, providing expert clinical advice, clinical co-ordination, emergency treatment and stabilization, and inter hospital transport for very sick babies, children and obstetric patients. KATS operates 24X7 to ensure your safety.
In order to further these aims, the department also provides expert assistance to medical practitioners, nurses and paramedical personnel regarding aspects of stabilization and transport of sick newborn infants.
It has been proven that timely retrieval and resuscitation of sick infants in an ICU increases their chances of survival as well as the quality of life, post resuscitation. For the entire West Bangalore and surrounding areas, Kangaroo Care Level 3 B NICU is the only ICU to offer special facilities, constant medical and nursing supervision.
KATS centre is located at Kangaroo Care Women and Children Hospital in Vijayanagar, Bangalore. The service is available to any one of the nearby hospitals which call for help from time across West Bangalore and surrounding areas.
KATS is not just a transport service. KATS provides a referral service for hospitals faced with neonatal, paediatric and obstetric emergency. Discussion about patient illness or needs occurs via conference calls with a KATS consultant and other clinical experts.
KATS provides a neonatal intensive care team of trained nurses and when indicated, a paediatrician experienced in neonatology. KATS also provides a specially equipped transport incubator with intensive care facilities including monitoring equipment, facilities for controlled oxygen administration and assisted ventilation and also for continuous intravenous infusion. Afterreceiving a referral call, the team mobilizes as quickly as possible and travels to the referring hospital to pick up the infant and supervise the transfer. Safe transport and experienced supervision in transit with adequate facilities are the essence of the stabilization of the infant.
Infants and other patients who cannot be managed optimally with the facilities available and those at risk of serious complications should be transferred. The final decision regarding transfer rests with the physician in charge. Each hospital varies in level of facilities for newborn care they can offer.
This depends on the time required for mobilization and travel. As a norm, one should allow 30-40 minutes for mobilization plus time taken to travel from Kangaroo Care Women and Children Hospital to the referring hospital. The KATS team makes every effort to keep the response time to an absolute minimum.
It is generally unwise to attempt to move the infant from the hospital to meet the KATS team. Disasters may occur when infants are not adequately stabilized or supported.
While awaiting the KATS team, the infant should be kept warm, positioned to allow maximum observation, given sufficient oxygen to maintain a pink color, and a clear airway maintained by adequate (but not overzealous) suctioning.
KATS personnel will ask you about the infant’s condition and request for the lab reports. They will assess the infant, record observations and then perform the required procedures to stabilize the infant ready for transport. The KATS team will inform the parents about the management and show the infant to them. The parents are given an explanation and information booklet about Kangaroo Care Hospital. Occasionally, it is possible for parents to travel with their baby. This must be decided by the KATS team.
Naturally, parents often feel anxious and depressed when their baby is transferred. They should be encouraged to enquire frequently about their infant’s condition and visit as soon as possible. The KATS team will endeavour to telephone once the transfer is completed.
KATS relies on the community’s help to treat the newborns transported by our teams. Your contribution can make a difference!
