KARACHI, July 2: The National Institute of Child Health has embarked upon an ambitious plan to strengthen its emergency services through extensive training of paramedics and procurement of state-of-the-art ambulances.

The “emergency resuscitation project” has been initiated to prevent any delay in medical assistance and to shift, with absolute safety and care, all critically ill child patients from one place to another, with special provision for accident cases, said Prof. Zeenat Isani, Director, National Institute of Child Health.

The NICH at the moment has been able to train 12 of its paramedics to efficiently deal with critically ill patients under any emergency condition.

Mentioning that more paramedics are being provided with the necessary training, Dr. Isani said two to three of those 12 already trained are available in each shift at the hospital and are competent enough to handle any emergency condition along with their responsibilities during their regular duty shifts.

Answering a question, she said that a grant of Rs 3 million has also been provided by the federal government to refurbish, with latest and sophisticated equipment, the blood bank at the NICH, providing round-the-clock service to the needy patients.

Blood bag and screening procedure of blood against diseases as Hepatitis B and C, HIV-AIDS and soforth cost no less than Rs 1,100 in any private facility, she said mentioning that these are generally provided free or at negligible rates at NICH.

Prof. Zeenat Issani also referred to support extended by the SADA Foundation to meet the running expenditure of the blood bank besides of certain necessary gadgets.—APP