KARACHI, Dec 13: The Burns Centre of the Civil Hospital Karachi (CHK) was inaugurated by the Sindh governor, Dr Ishratul Ibad, on Monday.
The centre has been established following up gradation and relocation of the hospital's burns wards at a cost of Rs45 million, of which Rs8 million has been provided by the provincial government.
The Burns Centre had actually been readied more than a year ago, but due to various reasons, it could not be inaugurated. During the intervening period, several attempts were made to formally open the centre but none materialized.
The centre, housed in the Jubilee Block of the hospital, a protected building, is equipped with state-of-the-art machinery. It has several properly equipped operation theatres, besides an emergency treatment theatre and an intensive care unit.
Arrangements have also been made at the centre for rehabilitation of patients. They would also be able to undergo physiotherapy sessions there. During his visit to the CHK, Governor Ishratul Ibad also laid the foundation stone of the hospital's accident and emergency department, which is proposed to improve its capability to handle trauma cases.
He was informed that the department would be established at a cost of Rs 500 million in about 36 months. Meanwhile, speaking at the opening ceremony of the Burns Centre, the governor said the 66-bed unit represented a great example of fruitful collaboration between the public and private organizations.
He said the centre would be expanded continuously, enabling it to become a centre of excellence. In the next phase, a skin bank would be set up following which a tissue culture laboratory would be established, announced Dr Ishratul Ibad.
The governor expressed the hope that many lives, which were otherwise lost as a result of bomb blasts or industrial or domestic mishaps, would be saved at the newly opened Burns Centre. He, however, urged the administration of the centre and the philanthropists to help keep the centre properly maintained.
Dr Ibad added that the care of burn patients was a costly affair and the government could not foot such bills alone. He urged the philanthropists of the country to come forward and help revive the 'sick' health and educational units.
In his speech, Abdullah Feroze of the Friends of Burns Centre claimed that the Burns Centre was the biggest public-sector facility of its kind in the country. He suggested that the government should accord a tax-free status to all donations that were made in social sectors.
He said the government should not involve itself merely in the construction of new buildings, but also work towards promotion of healthy activities in the country. He also praised the efforts of the well-known architect Yasmin Lari towards the upkeep and maintenance of the Jubilee Building.
Prof Shaista Effendi, the head of the unit, said Burns Centre was one of the biggest in the world. Just under 2,000 patients had already benefited from her unit since its relocation and renovation, she added.
The adviser for health to the chief minister, Faisal Malik, pointed out that in case of a terrorist action, at least 40 trauma patients would be treatable at the Burns Centre. He pointed out that the centre was equipped with the most modern equipment.
Prof M. Saeed Quraishy, the medical superintendent of CHK, said the provincial government had provided the use of the Jubilee Building, besides Rs8 million, for the centre. He praised the role of philanthropists in the transformation of his hospital's burns wards into a fully-fledged Burns Centre.
He pointed out that the Burns Centre would require Rs50 million every year just for its operations. "I hope the government of Sindh will contribute substantially to the recurring expenditure."
