According to Dr alIbran, the first three to four hours are critical for patients who suffer burn injuries. PHOTO: FILE
KARACHI: Incharge of the burns centre at Dr Ruth Pfau Civil Hospital, Karachi, Dr Ehmer alIbran called on Wednesday for training doctors, nurses and paramedical staff for managing burn injuries at initial stages.
According to Dr alIbran, the first three to four hours are critical for patients who suffer burn injuries. He stressed on the training and capacity-building of medical professionals for treating burn injuries as soon as possible so that risk to lives of burn patients can be minimised.
"An electric burn can cause life-long disability if it is not treated at its initial stages," the burns centre incharge maintained.
The administration of Civil hospital's burns centre was ready to train doctors, nurses, and paramedical staff of district-level health facilities to manage burn injury cases at initial stages, Dr alIbran said, adding that such training would help reduce mortality rate of burn patients as many burn patients die while being shifted to Karachi from rural Sindh.
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Dr alIbran also pointed out that a project to open burn wards at five government hospitals in Sindh had been pending since several years. The hospitals, where those burn units were supposed to be set up, were Sindh Government Hospital in Liaquatabad, Karachi, Liaquat University Hospital, Jamshoro, Chandka Medical College, Larkana, Ghulam Muhammad Mahar Medical College, Sukkur and Civil Hospital, Mirpukhas.
"Presently, burn patients from Karachi, rural Sindh, Balochistan and southern Punjab are brought to the facility for treatment," Dr alIbran said. He added that deaths occurring due to cylinder blast, fire, acid, electricity and other such factors could be reduced if small burn units are established at district-level hospitals.
The burns centre incharge said that the centre had a capacity of 70 beds and was operating under a public-private partnership. Modern operation theatres, emergency treatment facility, intensive-care unit and a 24-hour clinical laboratory facilities were available for patients at the centre free of charge, he said.
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