ISLAMABAD: While the expansion plan of the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) has yet to see the light of the day, burn patients visiting the hospital continue to suffer due to space and staff shortages at its Burn Centre.
The number of burn patients visiting the Burn Centre doubles in winters due to gas leakage, fire and other incidents, however, the majority of them are sent back due to the space issue and shortage of medical staff, an official said.
The Burn Centre official said on the condition of anonymity that very often, the Pims administration would float plans to extend and expand the Burn Centre, but the idea never went anywhere.
He said that two years back, an idea was floated to add another floor on the existing building, but that also failed.
“At present, only 18 beds are available at the centre, but extra space is created during winters to accommodate more patients by adding a few more beds,” said the official, adding that the number of burn patients increases to 20-a-day during winters against five-a-day for the rest of the year.
“It is distressing to refuse or discharge a severely burnt patient prematurely due to the space shortage issues. In most cases, such patients fail to survive,” said the official, adding that severe cases require extra care, which they cannot get at home.
While talking about the staff shortage, he said that out of 12 doctors, only four doctors including three deputationists were currently working at the Burn Centre.
“The other eight doctors have been transferred to other departments,” the official said, adding that on Sundays, burn patients have to suffer a lot, as only a single doctor is available to deal with the entire patient load.
Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (SZAB) Medical University Vice-Chancellor Prof Javed Akram said that the hospital administration was finalising a plan to start expanding the Burn Centre.
He said that two more floors will be added to the existing Burn Centre building and 29 doctors and 50 nurses will be hired to overcome the staff shortage issue.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 9th, 2014.
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