Malnutrition & Diarrhea are the major causes of under five mortality and morbidity in the developing countries like Bangladesh. Considering the significance of these important clinical conditions Gastroenterology and Hepatology unit was formed in 1982 in Dhaka Shishu Hospital.
The unit is located at ward no-5 on 2nd floor of main building of the hospital and the unit number is 5. This department has 20 nonpaying beds and paying beds in different wards and cabin.
The human resources the unit has are Associate professor (Head of the department),Assistant professor, Registrar, three medical officers and honorary medical officers, Two efficient nutritionists, feeding nurses.
The facilities that the Gastroenterology and Nutrition unit provides are medical, educational, training of postgraduate students and research. The medical facilities include clinical management, nutritional management; counseling and follow up including daily and long term follow up. Dietary management facilities include preparation and supply of F-75, F-100 diet, Rice suji, Green banana suji, comminuted chicken soup, khichuri, Rice ORS, Resomal and elemental diet. Educational facilities include class teaching, theoretical lecture, bed side teaching, daily ward round. Different training facilities are there like nursing, clinical and dietary demonstration.
This department is involved in various research works in collaboration with different institutes at home and abroad.
The overall facilities the unit provides are possible as the department has got some instruments and accessories like digital weighing and BM machine, Flexiflo petrol pump, hot body cot, room heater, electronic glucometer, body composition analyzer, portable pulse oxymeter, infantometer, stadiometer, weighing scale.
We have some future plans regarding the advancement of our facilities. We are planning to establish elemental enteral diet/ Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN), colonoscopy, jejunal biopsy. The department is also looking for the establishment of postgraduate course in Pediatric Nutrition and Gastroenterology.
Nutrition, Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit of Dhaka Shishu Hospital will continue to contribute positively, not only for management of admitted patients of DSH but also nationally in improving the management of severely malnourished children and children suffering from gastrointestinal diseases and in the process helping Bangladesh to achieve MDG 4 by year 2015, for which Government of Peoples Republic of Bangladesh is pledge bound
