Pressing issue: Capital critically needs burns ward
Only 24 beds for burn patients in all public hospitals of the twin cities combined.
Every day, a large number of burn victims are prematurely moved out of the burn unit due to the acute shortage of beds. PHOTO: FILE
ISLAMABAD:
Fifteen-year-old Sobia Kanwal, resident of a katchi abadi in Sector G-7, is writhing in pain. She was lying on a bed with severe burns and a high fever, while her family tried to find a way to pay for her treatment.
On a fateful night in mid-December 2012, Kanwal was preparing bread for her family on a log fire when the flames caught her clothes, leaving her with second degree burns.
“We are helpless as no beds are available in any of the burn care units at public hospitals, and we cannot afford to take her to a private hospital. I am a mother who cannot arrange money for the treatment of my daughter,” said a dejected Naseema Bibi, Kanwal’s mother.
Every second day she has to borrow money to buy medicine and bandages for her daughter. The monthly income of the family is hardly Rs14,000, and the cost of the medicine alone is over Rs3,000, which she needs after every two days.
Naseema said they took her to the burn care unit of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) where she was admitted for 10 days.
“They discharged my daughter saying that she was stable and can be treated at home. They said there was an acute shortage of beds and it would be better to take her home and make a bed available for new patients,” she said.
Burn unit doctors suggested bringing her to the outpatient department every two days for surgical dressing, she added.
However, Bibi said that a doctor at the OPD flatly refused to treat the teenager, claiming that the patient load was too high. “He suggested we take her to a hospital in Sector F-10,” she said.
“When we took her to the hospital in F-10, the doctor asked us to pay Rs1,200 as entry fees, and then charged Rs3,000 as consultancy fee and Rs3,500 for medicine. We told him we are poor and cannot afford so much, but he did not care,” she claimed.
Next to Kanwal’s bed is a trophy she got last year for topping her class. She wanted to become a teacher one day, but that plan is on hold until she is healthy enough to get out of bed and return to school.
Naseema Bibi has sought the help of philanthropists, NGOs and the government to get financial support for her daughter’s treatment.
Every day, a large number of burn victims are prematurely moved out of the burn unit due to the acute shortage of beds. There are only two burn units in the twin cities, a 20 bed unit at Pims, and a four bed unit at Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi.
The head of the Pims Burn Care Centre, Dr Tariq Iqbal, said the patient load doubles in winter, making it difficult to accommodate them with just 20 beds. He said the unit receives over 35 burn cases and only the ones with very serious burns are admitted, while the rest are discharged after giving initial treatment. However, he added that all efforts are made to treat every patient and stretchers are placed in the burn unit and even the corridor if a patient must be admitted.
Iqbal said the extension of the unit is not a solution as there is a dire need to establish a regional burn care unit.
“Every day, over 80 patients come to the OPD for surgical dressing and burn-related follow ups, almost 90% of whom are from the areas surrounding Islamabad,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 13th, 2013.
Fifteen-year-old Sobia Kanwal, resident of a katchi abadi in Sector G-7, is writhing in pain. She was lying on a bed with severe burns and a high fever, while her family tried to find a way to pay for her treatment.
On a fateful night in mid-December 2012, Kanwal was preparing bread for her family on a log fire when the flames caught her clothes, leaving her with second degree burns.
“We are helpless as no beds are available in any of the burn care units at public hospitals, and we cannot afford to take her to a private hospital. I am a mother who cannot arrange money for the treatment of my daughter,” said a dejected Naseema Bibi, Kanwal’s mother.
Every second day she has to borrow money to buy medicine and bandages for her daughter. The monthly income of the family is hardly Rs14,000, and the cost of the medicine alone is over Rs3,000, which she needs after every two days.
Naseema said they took her to the burn care unit of Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims) where she was admitted for 10 days.
“They discharged my daughter saying that she was stable and can be treated at home. They said there was an acute shortage of beds and it would be better to take her home and make a bed available for new patients,” she said.
Burn unit doctors suggested bringing her to the outpatient department every two days for surgical dressing, she added.
However, Bibi said that a doctor at the OPD flatly refused to treat the teenager, claiming that the patient load was too high. “He suggested we take her to a hospital in Sector F-10,” she said.
“When we took her to the hospital in F-10, the doctor asked us to pay Rs1,200 as entry fees, and then charged Rs3,000 as consultancy fee and Rs3,500 for medicine. We told him we are poor and cannot afford so much, but he did not care,” she claimed.
Next to Kanwal’s bed is a trophy she got last year for topping her class. She wanted to become a teacher one day, but that plan is on hold until she is healthy enough to get out of bed and return to school.
Naseema Bibi has sought the help of philanthropists, NGOs and the government to get financial support for her daughter’s treatment.
Every day, a large number of burn victims are prematurely moved out of the burn unit due to the acute shortage of beds. There are only two burn units in the twin cities, a 20 bed unit at Pims, and a four bed unit at Holy Family Hospital in Rawalpindi.
The head of the Pims Burn Care Centre, Dr Tariq Iqbal, said the patient load doubles in winter, making it difficult to accommodate them with just 20 beds. He said the unit receives over 35 burn cases and only the ones with very serious burns are admitted, while the rest are discharged after giving initial treatment. However, he added that all efforts are made to treat every patient and stretchers are placed in the burn unit and even the corridor if a patient must be admitted.
Iqbal said the extension of the unit is not a solution as there is a dire need to establish a regional burn care unit.
“Every day, over 80 patients come to the OPD for surgical dressing and burn-related follow ups, almost 90% of whom are from the areas surrounding Islamabad,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 13th, 2013.