PESHAWAR: The critically wounded, sick and trauma patients have been benefiting from establishment of full-fledged specialised services at the accident and emergency department of Lady Reading Hospital, according to officials.

“Given workload at the hospital, we have planned to make available specialised services for cardiology and children with a view to provide prompt diagnostic and treatment services to the critically-ill patients,” LRH Medical Director Prof Mukhtiar Zaman Afridi told Dawn.

He said that orthopaedic specialists were deployed at the accident and emergency department on July 31 where more than 70 surgeries were performed so far with better results.

Prior to the introduction of those services, patients affected by trauma, road accidents and firearm were referred to the orthopedic wards after getting first aid at accident and emergency department. It often deteriorated their condition.

“Now, patients with such problems are being operated upon at the emergency operation theatres and most of them are discharged after 24 hours. Timely intervention by doctors saves their limbs and bones and also shorten their stay at the hospital,” said Prof Mukhtiar.

He said that they were also receiving patients with such problems from other medical teaching institutions of the city because they knew that they would get timely response at LRH. He added that as a protocol, if such patients were not treated within 24 hours, then they had to wait for one week because they developed infection, swelling and other complications for which they had to wait till their recovery before operating on them.

“It is a big success because it reduces infection rate and patient get services, including CT and MRI scan and operation within the same premises. We have deployed six orthopedic surgeons for morning, afternoon and night shift to ensure that all the patients are handled in accident and emergency department and the cold patients get admissions in the wards,” said Prof Mukhtiar.

He said that in the past patients had to wait for months to undergo operations due to shortage of beds. He added that the new arrangements helped them to treat critical patients at accident and emergency department and facilitate routine patients at the wards. Hospital Director Dr Khalid Masud said that patients were being treated directly by the consultants at the accident and emergency department, which also improved training of doctors.

“People with medical, trauma and gynecological illness are beneficiaries of the specialised services at accident and emergency department. We have recruited consultants, who can be placed at accident and emergency department shortly,” said Dr Khalid.

Published in Dawn, August 11th, 2017