AIIMS Nagpur Celebrates 5th NICU Foundation Day; Highlights Milestones in Newborn Care and Capacity Building
From a COVID-Era Beginning to a Centre of Excellence — NICU Completes Five Years of Transforming Neonatal Care in Vidarbha National NRP Day 2026 Also Conducted Simultaneously; 110 Healthcare Workers Trained in Basic Neonatal Resuscitation
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Nagpur, marked a landmark occasion on 10th May 2026 with the grand celebration of the 5th Foundation Day of its Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), held in the distinguished presence of the Executive Director and CEO, Prof. (Dr.) Prashant P. Joshi, and Medical Superintendent Dr. Nilesh Nagdeve. The event was a powerful blend of reflection, recognition, and reaffirmation — celebrating five years of life saved, families transformed, and neonatal medicine advanced in one of India’s most critical regions.
In a deeply moving gesture, NICU graduates and their families were specially invited and felicitated on the occasion. These young children, who had once fought for their lives as critically ill newborns in the NICU, were honoured with gifts personally presented by the Executive Director. The moment was a vivid symbol of hope and resilience, and a celebration of the skill and dedication that had given these families their most precious gift.
Addressing the gathering, Prof. (Dr.) Prashant P. Joshi took the audience through the remarkable and challenging journey of the NICU, which was established during one of the most difficult phases in recent history — the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic. “Establishing a functional NICU in the midst of a global health crisis required extraordinary courage, commitment, and vision from our neonatal team,” he said. Despite acute resource constraints, disrupted supply chains, and an overwhelmed healthcare system nationwide, the team at AIIMS Nagpur built the NICU from the ground up and began delivering life-saving care to the tiniest and most vulnerable patients.
Prof. (Dr.) Joshi warmly appreciated the relentless efforts of the neonatal team and specially praised the leadership and vision of Dr. Nishant Banait, In charge of NICU and Associate professor of Neonatology, for establishing and nurturing the NICU into what he called “a true boon for the Vidarbha region.” Under Dr. Banait’s stewardship, the unit has evolved from a nascent facility into a full-fledged tertiary-level neonatal referral centre, delivering high-quality, evidence-based neonatal intensive care to families from across Vidarbha and beyond.
Today, AIIMS Nagpur has emerged as the preferred referral destination for high-risk deliveries across Vidarbha and adjoining regions. Families travel from districts of eastern Maharashtra and even from neighbouring Madhya Pradesh — including Chhindwara and Balaghat — to access specialist neonatal care at AIIMS Nagpur. The institute has also become a trusted centre for precious pregnancies, including those resulting from In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), where the stakes for newborn survival are often particularly high. This growing trust from communities across state borders speaks volumes about the quality of care being delivered.
Clinical Milestones: Complex Surgeries and Life-Saving Interventions
The Executive Director highlighted several remarkable clinical and surgical achievements of the NICU over the past five years. The unit has successfully managed complex neonatal surgical cases, including Patent Ductus Arteriosus (PDA) ligation in extremely preterm infants — a delicate cardiac procedure performed in babies weighing just a few hundred grams — and the surgical correction of life-threatening congenital anomalies such as Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula (TOF) and other congenital airway disorders. Approximately 80 neonatal surgeries have been successfully performed in the last 2 years, reflecting the rapidly growing surgical expertise and multidisciplinary teamwork at the institute.
Story of Hope: Smallest Survivor — 520 Grams, 25 Weeks
Among the most inspiring stories shared at the event was the survival of an extremely preterm baby born at just 25 weeks’ gestation, weighing a mere 520 grams. The baby’s mother, from Chandrapur, had endured the heartbreak of losing three previous children due to extreme prematurity. Having nowhere else to turn, she came to AIIMS Nagpur with hope and trepidation. The NICU team took on the extraordinary challenge, and against all medical odds, the baby survived. The family, overwhelmed with gratitude, expressed their heartfelt thanks to AIIMS Nagpur for giving them their first surviving child after years of unbearable struggle and loss. Their story stands as one of the most powerful testaments to what compassionate, expert neonatal care can achieve.
Therapeutic Hypothermia: Tackling Birth Asphyxia with Advanced Care
Addressing one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality and long-term disability, the Department of Neonatology has introduced therapeutic hypothermia (cooling therapy) for the management of hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy (HIE) in birth-asphyxiated newborns. This internationally recognised, evidence-based intervention has led to significantly improved neurodevelopmental outcomes in severely asphyxiated babies at AIIMS Nagpur, preventing disability and giving children a better quality of life — a milestone that marks the NICU’s transition into a truly advanced neonatal care facility.
Capacity Building and Outreach: Training the Region’s Healthcare Workforce
Beyond clinical care, the Department of Neonatology has taken on a pivotal role in capacity building and healthcare outreach across the region. The department regularly conducts structured training programmes for peripheral healthcare workers, including Facility-Based Newborn Care (FBNC) training, Neonatal Resuscitation Programme (NRP), and Breastfeeding promotion initiatives under the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BPNI). In addition, the department is actively engaged in telemedicine-based mentoring and training of healthcare workers in remote areas of Maharashtra, including Dharani, Achalpur, Gadchiroli, and Nandurbar, bridging the gap between tertiary expertise and grassroots healthcare delivery. Through these initiatives, AIIMS Nagpur is directly contributing to the national goal of reducing neonatal mortality in underserved and remote populations, bringing quality newborn care to the last mile.
National NRP Day 2026: 110 Healthcare Workers Trained in a Single Day
As part of the day’s activities, the Department of Neonatology, AIIMS Nagpur, in collaboration with the National Neonatology Forum (NNF) India, conducted the National NRP Day 2026 — a coordinated, single-day mass training initiative under the NNF Presidential Action Plan 2026 with the theme: “One Day. One Nation. One Mission — Saving Newborn Lives, One Breath at a Time.” A total of 110 healthcare workers were trained in Basic Neonatal Resuscitation in a single day — equipping nurses, nursing students, and junior doctors with the skills to manage birth asphyxia, one of the leading preventable causes of neonatal death in India.
The programme was conducted under the expert guidance of Dr. Akash Bang as Lead Trainer, and under the overall supervision of Dr. Nishant Banait. The course was seamlessly coordinated by Dr. Amit Kumar, who ensured efficient management throughout the day. The training covered essential components including initial steps of newborn care, positive pressure ventilation using bag-and-mask technique, and team-based resuscitation drills.
Dr. Akash Bang, Dr. Sanjana Somanath, Dr. Amit Kumar, Dr. Arun Edwin, Dr. Jyothi M, Dr. Ankit, Dr. Vivek, and Senior Nursing Officer Ms. Jini — the dedicated team of trainers from AIIMS Nagpur who delivered the hands-on sessions — ensured that each participant received standardised, high-quality skill-based training. The programme also observed this day simultaneously in collaboration with the Government of India, IAP, FOGSI, and TNAI as part of the nationwide effort.
Dr. Sanjana Somanath, Departmental In-charge and Associate Professor of Neonatology, reaffirmed the department’s unwavering vision for the future. “Our commitment goes beyond the walls of this NICU. We are determined to strengthen neonatal services at the grassroots level, and expand our training initiatives, she said.
The 5th NICU Foundation Day celebration at AIIMS Nagpur stood as a powerful testament to perseverance, innovation, and dedication. From its difficult inception during a global pandemic to becoming an acknowledged centre of neonatal excellence, the NICU has transformed newborn care and offered hope to countless families across Vidarbha and beyond. Officials at AIIMS Nagpur expressed their determination to continue this journey — advancing clinical care, building capacity, and saving lives, one breath at a time.
