The word paediatrics means "healer of children"; it is derived from two Greek words: παῖς (pais "child") and ἰατρός (iatros "doctor, healer"). Pediatrics is a branch of medicine that deals with the development, care and diseases of babies, children and adolescents.

Our department of Pediatrics is committed to providing a clear and comprehensive training in all aspects of Pediatrics. It provides state of the art teaching to students in the form of clinical bedside classes with discussion of cases, OPD (out patient department) based teaching of minor illnesses, lectures, audiovisual training, teaching of various procedures and hands on handling of real patients during the period of house surgency and post graduation. This will make the students from our institution skilled in handling all kinds of pediatric patients from the very sick to the less ill ones. They will be well equipped to manage all levels of Pediatric patients from the community level to global tertiary level standards.

Some of the subspecialties of pediatrics include Neonatology, Pediatric surgery, Developmental and behavioral Pediatrics, Pediatric cardiology, Pediatric critical care, Pediatric nephrology, Pediatric neurology, Pediatric pulmonology and Social Pediatrics.

Paediatric Surgery

Paediatrics

History of the Pediatric department

The department of Pediatrics was inaugurated in JMMCRI on September 1969 under the aegis of Dr Sunny George. Right from the days of its inception, the department has been a tertiary referral center for the districts in and around Thrissur including Palakkad and Malappuram for all child related health issues and illnesses. It started as a 14 bedded hospital but has now grown to a bed strength of 120 with an additional 10 bedded Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. It was one of the first hospitals in Kerala to become certified as “baby friendly” under the national Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative program. In the 1980s, training of post graduates was started under the DNB training program. The training of undergraduates was started in 2003. The MD Pediatrics training program was started in 2011. The surgical division exclusively dedicated to the surgical problems of children was started in May 2005.

It currently occupies the fifth and sixth floors of the St Thomas block of the college building.

Vision and objectives

• The undergraduate and postgraduate curriculum is oriented towards training students to undertake the responsibilities of a physician of first contact who is capable of looking after the preventive, promotive, curative and rehabilitative aspects of pediatrics.
• The stress during the under graduate training is on basic pediatrics including growth, development, immunization, nutrition and the management of common illnesses like diarrhea, malnutrition and respiratory illnesses.
• The training aims to provide an educational experience of the essentials required for health care in our country.
• The educational experience emphasizes health and community orientation instead of only disease and hospital orientation or being concentrated on curative aspects.
• The medical graduate will become capable of functioning independently in both urban or rural environment. He/ She will  endeavor to give emphasis on fundamental aspects of the subjects taught and on common pediatric problems of health and diseases
• Adequate emphasis is placed on cultivating logical and scientific habits of thought, clarity of expression, independence of judgment and ability to collect and analyze Information and to correlate them.

Training is provided in the department to MBBS students, BSc Nursing students, MD pediatric postgraduates, Diploma in medical Laboratory technology, Diploma in medical imaging technology and Diploma in medical records.

• Courses

The department conducts Kerala University of Health Sciences Post graduate courses (MD) and undergraduate training in Pediatrics.

• Paediatric Surgery

The surgical division exclusively dedicated to the surgical problems of children was started in May 2005. The department functions in close association with the department of Paediatrics and Neonatology. All the common as well as complex problems of neonates, infants and children up to the age of thirteen are taken care by the department. Excellent supportive care of a Neonatal ICU is available to take round the clock care of sick and critical neonates.

• The facilities in the Department include

A 10 bedded PICU that provide expert treatment for life-threatening childhood diseases, respiratory and heart problems, and other critical illnesses and injuries.

A Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is where we care for the most seriously ill children. It is different from the general pediatric unit in that there is a more focused level of nursing care (RN only) to closely monitor bodily functions and conditions such as breathing, heart rate, & neurological signs. Furthermore, the doctors may choose to use interventions not typically used in general pediatric care such as certain surgical procedures, medications and ventilators (breathing machines). Length of stay in the PICU varies greatly and depends on the course and severity of illness or injury. Once stable, children are transferred to a general pediatric unit room / ward.

A spacious pediatric ward with 120 beds ,a clinical side room for emergency investigations and a payward consisting of 18 single rooms, 2 double rooms and 8 beds for Pediatrics surgery.

A well equipped library with around 200 books and journals.

Out Patient Department that caters for around 7000 children every month, consisting of:

General Pediatric Clinics

Unit I – Monday. Wednesday, Friday

Unit II – Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday

Speciality Clinics consisting of Immunization clinic, Diarrhea treatment clinics, Well baby Clinics and Early intervention physiotherapy clinics

• Allied speciality Clinics include

Neonatology Clinics

• Well Baby Clinic: St. Thomas Block. (Daily 8 am to 1 pm)
• High Risk Clinic : on Wednesdays & Saturdays
• OAE Test : on Tuesdays , Thursdays & Saturdays

Paediatric Surgery Clinic : on Mondays, Wednesdays & Saturdays

Pediatric asthma clinic : on the second Tuesday and the fourth Friday of every month

Pediatric Nephrology clinic

Pediatric cardiology clinic

Department of Paediatric Surgery

Like adults, children suffer from various surgical conditions. Infections and inflammations affecting various organs are quiet common in children. Similarly, children are susceptible to various forms of trauma including burns as much as the adults. Also, neoplastic conditions ,both benign and malignant are not uncommon in children. However , unlike adults, congenital malformations involving each and every organ in the body take major share of the paediatric surgical work.Most of these malformations are complex and require specialised and advanced care. Hence the need for a separate speciality - Paediatric surgery.

The speciality was started for the first time in Jubilee Mission Medical College in the year 2005, with Dr.Narayanan kutty, Retired Professor, Govt. Medical College, Thrissur In charge. Emergency services are available 24 hours a day with the co-operation of the Paediatric and Neoanatal departments. Expert services are provided to the surgical neonates with the help of the sophiscated Neonatal Intensive care Unit.

The undergraduates are given a briefing about the common Peadiatric and neonatal surgical problems, during their Paediatric postings, which is sure to help them in their professional work.

OP Timing:-

Out-Patient services are provided three days a week, on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 to 12 in the morning.