Turkish health model: Separate emergency departments suggested for teaching hospitals

These emergency departments will have trained and dedicated staff

LAHORE: Secretary Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Najam Ahmad Shah has said separate emergency departments would be established in teaching hospitals across Punjab replicating the model and pattern of emergency departments in Turkish hospitals.

Chairing a meeting at Civil Secretariat, the secretary said posts of professor of emergency, associate professor emergency and other vacancies would be created with separate service career to fulfill the needs of new emergency department.

Attractive pay packages would be introduced on these posts for effective and smooth running of emergency departments in teaching hospitals. “Turkish experts are providing technical and consultancy services for this project. It is proposed that a pilot project will start from Mayo Hospital,” Najam said.

The Turkish health experts briefed the secretary about their observations during the visit of different teaching hospitals of Lahore.

They said in Turkey separate emergency departments were established for which dedicated staff has been deployed. They were of the view that by deploying dedicated staff and head of the emergency departments, sense of ownership and responsibility could be enhanced.

The Turkish health experts said separate emergency services departments were essential in teaching hospitals of Punjab for providing immediate and quality healthcare services to patients.

Secretary Health Najam agreed to the proposals of the Turkish experts and directed the officers of department concerned to come up with short- and long-term proposals with the consultation of the experts for establishing separate emergency departments in hospitals of the province.

He also directed the authorities concerned to establish a close coordination and effective mechanism between the emergency department and indoor service of the hospitals as it was vital for shifting the patients from emergency to general wards for further treatment.

He said medical universities would start four or five-year programmes in the emergency services. However, in the beginning short-term training courses for the already trained/qualified doctors would be arranged.

The secretary health said the duty schedule of doctors should be 8 hours and in case of any special circumstances it should not exceed more than 12 hours.

He directed the authorities to submit final recommendations after taking input of all the stakeholders without delay. The government would provide all resources for hiring new staff, procurement of equipment and other requirements, the secretary concluded.

Turkish experts of medical emergency services Dr Mehmat Akif, Dr Mehmat Ergin, Dr Yousaf Ali Altunsi, Dr Ayhan, Dr Ahmet Altiner and Dr Felah Attin, Fatima Jinnah Medical University Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Sardar Fakhar Imam and other experts were present in the meeting.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 6^th, 2017