Healthcare facilities: Four new medical units set up at HMC

PESHAWAR:

Four new medical units were opened at Hayatabad Medical Complex (HMC) on Saturday to provide timely treatment to critically ill or injured patients.

The new units will be part of the Accident and Emergency Department, Psychiatry Ward, Catheterisation Lab and Maxillofacial Ward.

Talking to The Express Tribune, HMC Chief Executive Dr Muhammad Zubair said the hospital now has a total of 550 doctors, 991 supporting staff and a capacity of 1,100 beds.

“At present, the facilities available at HMC include casualty, medical, surgical, gynae and obstetrics, ophthalmology, paediatrics, paediatric cardiology, ear nose and throat unit, orthopaedics, neurosurgery, intensive care unit, cardiac care unit, gastroenterology, cardiology, plastic surgery, endocrinology, oncology, dermatology, dentistry and maxillofacial units,” said Zubair.

He said around 1,000 patients from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and Afghanistan visit the hospital on a daily basis. “Apart from introducing the four new units, we have also incorporated new technologies to provide the latest diagnostic services.”

“Cardiac resynchronisation therapy (CRT), arrhythmia services and enhanced external counter pulsation (EECP) facilities will now be available for those suffering from heart failure,” he informed.

Talking about future projects, Zubair said a new Burns and Trauma Centre will be completed soon at the cost of Rs1.25 billion. “The ward will include 120 beds and will be functional from June 30, 2014.”

Complaining about the shortage of staff including medical officers, nurses and paramedics, the chief executive demanded the government to recruit more staffers.

According to a senior doctor at the HMC, the hospital’s electrophysiology lab is now well-equipped with rotational angiography and intracardiac echo services. “These facilities are not available in any other lab in Pakistan and are only available at a few advanced labs in South Asia,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2013.