Urgent Birth Care
One of the most well-known and well-respected hospitals on Galtern is the Urgent Birth Care clinic, providing peri- and neonatal care to people experiencing high-risk pregnancies. Giving birth is always hazardous, and cities that have birthing plazas staff them with medics who are capable of guiding parents safely through the experience. Only the very worst cases come to UrBiCa itself. There, with experienced emergency doctors, medicine, and equipment, bloodparents and infants who might have died during a conventional birth have much better chances at survival.
Very rarely will a birthing party have to transfer to the hospital from a plaza. In most cases, the need for an emergency birth is identified earlier in the pregnancy. The parents will visit UrBiCa regularly for care and schedule a private birth in advance to ensure the most positive outcome.
Public Agenda
Their primary objective is, of course, to save lives in danger. Secondary to that, but also in aid of the first, is the goal to make their lifesaving care available throughout the islands by teaching birth rescue techniques.
Controversy
Like every other organization on Galtern, UrBiCa is subject to the valuation economy. People with higher social value do get preferential treatment, but no one can have such low value that the hospital will refuse to help. High value only gets you more comfort and courtesy. It's a little trickier where off-islanders are concerned. Foreigners are valuated low by default, since they don't contribute meaningfully to Galternene society. Because of this, UrBiCa requires sometimes severe payments for their treatment. The case of Salibret Varenagos has been frequently cited recently as an example of special treatment for the wealthy. UrBiCa has a policy, similar to most other hospitals in the city, of counting the study of unusual cases as payment in part or full for the treatment. Salibret's baby was undergoing neonatal collapse, a condition so rare it had been recorded but never properly studied. Because of her visit, a cure was discovered which will undoubtedly save lives in the future. That is reason enough not to charge the Varen estate with the debt.Connecting in the moment
Emergency births are rare, but Stolc's population is so large that the hospital treats several each day. Islands with smaller populations don't have enough emergencies to keep their hospital-trained medics in practice. They go back every so often to refresh their skills and study new advancements, but it's still hard to stay calm if an ordinary birth suddenly becomes life-threatening. When the need arises, a medic can be in immediate contact with the hospital by relaying air wave signals through the conduit junction stations and have the voice of an experienced doctor to consult with.Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
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