Abu Dhabi Police fly newborns from island to intensive care

ABU DHABI // Two newborns in critical conditions have this week been flown by Abu Dhabi Police from a hospital on Delma Island to centres where they could receive specialised care.

The air-rescue team picked up both newborns from Delma Hospital and took them to the mainland, about 30 kilometres away.

A nurse at Delma said the first infant, a girl who was only 16 hours old, was taken to Mafraq Hospital at 1pm on Monday.

The Emirati newborn was suffering from transient tachypnoea, a respiratory complication usually caused by retained lung fluid.

"She couldn't breathe without the help of oxygen," the nurse said. "Every time we'd remove the oxygen support, her oxygen levels would start dropping."

The second, an Egyptian boy, was taken to Al Rahba Hospital at 5.40pm, less than eight hours after birth, on Tuesday.

He was also suffering from respiratory distress syndrome and relied on oxygen support.

"We are really isolated on the island and these babies need tertiary care, which we don't have," the nurse said.

"They needed urgent, specialised care."

The boy is stable but is still on oxygen support and remains in the hospital's neonatal intensive-care unit.

Information was not available on the girl.

mismail@thenational.ae