Work to set up ICU, burn ward begins at Civil Hospital

Sameer Singh

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, June 22

Work has been initiated to set up an ICU, a burn unit and a special ward for elderly patients at the Civil Hospital here. But during the process to enhance medical infrastructure, plants of the botanical garden were axed at the hospital.

According to information, the work to upgrade medical infrastructure is likely to be completed in nine months. The estimated cost of the project is Rs1.20 crore.

After the completion of the project, the patients will not have to visit private hospitals where treatment is expensive. Once an ICU comes up, patients requiring critical care will be benefitted immensely.

Earlier, patients requiring critical care had to be referred to a government hospital in Faridkot or private hospitals in the city where treatment is an expensive affair.

In the ICU, patients with cardiovascular problems, brain and respiratory problems will be treated. It will also help provide immediate treatment to patients thereby saving lives.

It is a 150-bedded hospital that witnesses a sizable number of patients with burn injuries. Long wait to set up the burn ward in the hospital will be ended shortly as the construction work has started. As of now, there is a provision to treat patients with 15 per cent burn injuries. Health Department officials said the process to set up a mortuary, a blood bank and a trauma centre had also started

A senior doctor, who did not want to be named, said it was indeed a laudable move by the Health Department to provide medical infrastructure, but not at the expense of the green cover in the Civil Hospital.

He said the department could have constructed these buildings at some other location.

The doctor added that many plants and growing trees were axed to set up new buildings by the department. These plants and green grass not only added to the aesthetic but also ensured clean air, he said.

Senior Medical Officer of the Civil Hospital Dr Satish Goyal admitted that plants had to be axed for the project. He said, “We could have made every possible effort to save the green cover inside the Civil Hospital, but owing to lack of adequate space, we had to start construction of a new buildings at the garden.”