‘Overburdened’ BBH to get 220 additional beds

In view of an increasing number of patients and limited treatment facilities, the addition of 220 beds has been approved in the Benazir Bhutto General Hospital (BBH) under the upgradation plan.

With doctors, nursing staff, support staff, provision of necessary equipment and an additional budget, the BBH will provide treatment facilities with 968 instead of 748 beds.

After the physical verification of the hospital by a special committee of the Ministry of Health, its upgradation was approved.

According to sources, the upgradation and increase in the number of beds of BBH, the city's busiest and overburdened medical facility, had long been declared inevitable as there was a continuous rush of patients in the emergency, OPD and wards of the hospital.

The hospital was facing an acute shortage of doctors, nursing and support staff, the sources said. “It had become impossible for a patient to get a bed in any ward of the hospital,” they added.

“In addition to the orthopaedic, peads and general surgery departments, the urology department was also giving operation dates to patients with a delay of four to eight months due to which the patients were facing immense difficulties.”

According to the recommendations made for the upgradation and expansion of the hospital, a special team of the federal health ministry conducted physical verification of the hospital building in December 2018 and March 2023 and recommended the addition of 220 more beds to the hospital.

The health ministry’s recommendation was followed by the approval of the Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department to increase the number of working beds from 748 to 968 in the BBH.

After its upgradation, the hospital’s emergency department will have 114 beds, peads 295, 92 beds each in general medicine and surgery, 58 in gynaecology, 52 in orthopaedics, 50 in dialysis centre and urology, 32 in ophthalmology, 26 in ENT, 44 in psychiatry, 31 in cardiology, 20 in ICU, 40 in dengue ward, 10 in dermatology while 12 beds will be available to patients in the private ward.

Regarding the upgradation and expansion of BBH, Medical Superintendent Dr Tahir Rizvi told The Express Tribune that increasing the number of beds in the hospital and the number of doctors, nursing and support staff was a long-standing requirement.

“To solve this problem, Secretary Health Ahmed Javed Qazi has taken a keen interest and practical steps,” he said.

The medical superintendent of BBH said: “Regular working has been started on the requirement of additional budget, doctors, nursing staff and support staff according to the additional 220 beds of the Benazir Bhutto General  Hospital has been started.”

“The case will soon be sent to the health department from where after its approval, it will go to the finance department and after approval, the process of acquiring additional human resources and equipment will be started,” he explained.

Dr Rizvi said the additional 220 beds for the hospital will greatly facilitate the treatment process.

“The burden will be reduced and the patients will also be able to get convenience,” he said and added that provision of additional doctors, nursing and support staff, will also aid treatment facilities.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2023.