RAWALPINDI, Feb 21: The Punjab government has approved setting up an institute of plastic surgery and burn at the District Headquarters Hospital, sources told Dawn on Thursday.

The institute will be established at an estimated cost of Rs24.1 million, the sources said.

The 40-bed project, to be financed through donations of philanthropists, is the brainchild of DHQ medical superintendent Dr Zubair Hassan. The government’s share in the project will be the provision of human resources and technical assistance.

The absence of a proper burn unit was being badly felt in Rawalpindi where annually 1,500 to 1,800 burn cases were reported from the twin cities of Islamabad-Rawalpindi, its adjoining areas, the Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir. But, none of the hospitals were adequately equipped to handle such cases.

“If all goes as planned, the project is expected to be completed within the next two to three years,” the officials related to the project said.

The institute will be having an intensive care unit with 10 cubical rooms equipped with ventilator support. There will also be a 30-bed ward for the burn cases.

Other facilities planned for the four-storied institute include a reception area for 25 to 30 people, changing rooms, operation theatres, dressing rooms, offices for doctors and surgeons, physiotherapy, skin bank, stores, imaging facility and generator back up service.

The imaging facility will not be exclusively used for the institute and its equipment will also be available to the neuro- surgery department of the hospital.

The services proposed to be provided at the hospital are burns management and plastic surgery services; 24 hours emergency service and tele-consultation service; complex surgical reconstruction and hand salvage surgery and training facility for plastic surgeons, medical students, nurses, technicians and paramedics.

Another salient feature of the institute would be the provision of services for primary prevention of burns through creating public awareness for protection from burns.

The targets set for the institute are immediate management of all burn cases; holding at least two international plastic surgery camps annually; rehabilitation of burn cases and routine plastic surgery cases.

The routine plastic surgery cases will help the institute maintain its financial viability.