Separate budgetary allocation for burn units demanded
Saturday, 12 May 2012
Burn and plastic surgery experts demanded separate budgetary allocation for the burn units at the Dhaka Medical College Hospital and other divisional hospitals for proper treatment of patients with burn injuries, reports BSS.
"There should be separate allocation in the Health Ministry's budget for the victims of fire incidents admitted to the burn units," said Dr Samanta Lal Sen, burn specialist and founder of the Burn Unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), while talking to the news agency Friday.
He said the government set up the 50-bed burn unit project at the DMCH in 2003 and the project got administrative approval for upgradation as a 100-bed unit a year back, but the project has now been limping due to manpower shortage.
Doctors and officers at the Burn unit of DMCH said they are giving treatment to 300 to 350 patients every day with the allocation of medicines and manpower meant for 50 patients.
They said they had to depend on the medicines supplied by the hospital for 50 patients and could provide treatment to the patients as long as the allocated medicines are not exhausted.
But, the situation becomes tough at the time of rush of additional patients when other burn victims are compelled to buy medicines from outside until the next supply of medicines arrive.
Dr Samata Lal Sen said nearly 95 per cent of the burn victims, who rush to the Burn Unit of DMCH from different areas of the country, are poor.
According to him it is tough for them to meet even the treatment expenses of a common disease, not to speak of bearing the medicare expenditure of burn incidents.
In many cases, Dr Sen said it has been experienced that the families of many burn victims had to opt for loans for their treatment.
"The medicines and nursing services required for a burn victim are tenfold higher than that of a patient suffering from a common disease. That's why special budgetary allocation should be there for the burn units to ensure proper treatment of patients." Prof Abul Kalam, head of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of DMCH, told the news agency.
These burn units will start functioning by the next three or four months. Burn units in the city's Mitford Medical College Hospital and Shaheed zia Medical College of Bogra will start functioning soon. The government has a plan to introduce burn units in all the District Sadar hospitals in phases.
The 30-bed burn unit started functioning at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital in April, the official sources added.
Dr Mrinal Kanti Das, head of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said, eight new posts, including one medical officer, one registrar and one assistant registrar have already been created for the newly installed unit.
"There should be separate allocation in the Health Ministry's budget for the victims of fire incidents admitted to the burn units," said Dr Samanta Lal Sen, burn specialist and founder of the Burn Unit of the Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH), while talking to the news agency Friday.
He said the government set up the 50-bed burn unit project at the DMCH in 2003 and the project got administrative approval for upgradation as a 100-bed unit a year back, but the project has now been limping due to manpower shortage.
Doctors and officers at the Burn unit of DMCH said they are giving treatment to 300 to 350 patients every day with the allocation of medicines and manpower meant for 50 patients.
They said they had to depend on the medicines supplied by the hospital for 50 patients and could provide treatment to the patients as long as the allocated medicines are not exhausted.
But, the situation becomes tough at the time of rush of additional patients when other burn victims are compelled to buy medicines from outside until the next supply of medicines arrive.
Dr Samata Lal Sen said nearly 95 per cent of the burn victims, who rush to the Burn Unit of DMCH from different areas of the country, are poor.
According to him it is tough for them to meet even the treatment expenses of a common disease, not to speak of bearing the medicare expenditure of burn incidents.
In many cases, Dr Sen said it has been experienced that the families of many burn victims had to opt for loans for their treatment.
"The medicines and nursing services required for a burn victim are tenfold higher than that of a patient suffering from a common disease. That's why special budgetary allocation should be there for the burn units to ensure proper treatment of patients." Prof Abul Kalam, head of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Unit of DMCH, told the news agency.
These burn units will start functioning by the next three or four months. Burn units in the city's Mitford Medical College Hospital and Shaheed zia Medical College of Bogra will start functioning soon. The government has a plan to introduce burn units in all the District Sadar hospitals in phases.
The 30-bed burn unit started functioning at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital in April, the official sources added.
Dr Mrinal Kanti Das, head of the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department of Chittagong Medical College Hospital, said, eight new posts, including one medical officer, one registrar and one assistant registrar have already been created for the newly installed unit.