KARACHI: Burns centre foundation laid at Civil Hospital
By Our Staff Reporter
KARACHI, Oct 23: Describing the high-prevalence of the so-called stove burst accidents, afflicting mainly women, as something similar to urban Karo-kari, Sindh governor Muhammedmian Soomro on Tuesday suggested a deeper look into this aspect of the crimes against women and the formulation of required legislation.
He was speaking at the stone-laying ceremony for the establishment of state-of-the-art Burns Centre in the 100-year-old Jubilee building of the Civil Hospital and Dow Medical College.
The governor lauded the private-public partnership which had resulted in the establishment of the centre saying that this was the need of the hour, and thanked members of the Friends of Burns Centre for their contribution to the establishment of the acute burns management centre.
The governor said private participation was of utmost important for the welfare of the community as the cost of medicare and intensive care was so high that the state alone could not meet it.
He said he hoped that the federal government would help alleviate the misery of burns patients in the province, where a large number of fire and burns victims died a painful death for want of low-cost modern acute burns facilities.
The governor also called for the adoption of prevention strategies, saying that modern world had now diverted its energies and funds to this aspect as it was cost-effective and prevented morbidity.
Sindh Health Minister Ahsan Ahmed called the centre a ‘dream project’, for which the Sindh Health Department, the Civil Hospital and the Burns Society had worked hand-in-hand. He said the project was revived after Prof Shaista Effendi, head of the CHK Burn Department, offered to raise the required funds through philanthropic and donor support. He said the PC-1 for the project was submitted on the basis of public-private partnership.
He said the total cost of the project involving civil work and equipment was Rs45 million and the Sindh government had contributed Rs8 million. He said the balance amount would be raised through the Friends of the Burns Centre and philanthropic support.
Lauding the spirit of philanthropy in the country, he said during 1998-99, Rs7 billion was raised by philanthropists, out of which five per cent of the amount was utilized for public health and related issues. He said the professionals and administrators by displaying commitment, honesty and transparency, could effectively mobilize from this pool of social philanthropy funds for the upgradation and improvement of public sector hospitals. He said the Sindh government would have no future liability for the maintenance and recurring expenditures.
President of the Friends of the Burns Centre Abdullah Feroz recalled the efforts the body made for the establishment of the centre. He said the donors required a great deal of convincing and assurance regarding the use of their money.
The head of the Burns Department of the CHK thanked the government officials, philanthropists, the Friends of the Burns Centre for their support in the establishment of the Burns Centre.
The medical superintendent of the Civil Hospital, Dr Naushad Sheikh, in his welcome address expressed the hope that the burns centre would be completed within the set financial target of Rs45 million, adds PPI.
Dow Medical College Principal Illahi Buksh Soomro and Naib Nazim of Karachi Tariq Hasan also attended the event.
