No choice Serious patients being referred to DMCH; inauguration cancelled thrice as unit yet to be readiedCritical patients’ endless wait for a burns unit

Aparna Banerji

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 6

An 11-year-old boy suffered 90 per cent burn injuries when his kite got entangled in high-tension wires overhead on Thursday. Initially bought to the Civil Hospital, the family decided to shift their son to the DMCH.

While anyone can imagine what implications the nearly two-hour journey between Jalandhar and Ludhiana can have for a patient, who suffers critical burns, the family had no choice but to travel this distance because a well-equipped Civil Hospital in Jalandhar is still waiting for the state-of-the-art ICU to be inaugurated.

While it has been three years since the Civil Hospital purchased the equipment, the slow pace of the construction of the ICU at the top floor of the trauma unit has prevented its use so far.

While funds worth Rs60 lakh for the equipment were donated by Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Gujral in March 2018, the equipment was purchased in November 2018. The construction work of the burns unit began on the second floor of the trauma ward a year later — in November 2019. A press note of the district administration (July 2018) had declared that the project’s first phase would be completed in two months (from July 2018). However, two years hence, the unit still awaits completion.

With a total cost of Rs1.20 crore (Rs58 lakh from the MP and the rest with Central and state’s contribution on a 40:60 ratio) the project was finally cleared for an upgrade to provide a state-of-the-art ICU for the people of the district. The finally cleared eight-bed burns unit included an intensive care unit (ICU) and an exclusive operation theatre (OT) for the treatment of burns patients on the top floor of the trauma centre.

However, initial delays along with the pandemic set the pace back by at least two years. The inaugural event was cancelled at least three times with the unit still awaiting completion. Sources said since building a ramp for the unit would need evacuation of the trauma centre, it was deemed unfeasible amid the pandemic.

Additionally, with the retirement of the Civil Hospital’s only plastic surgeon on December 31, 2020, this proved another setback. While the hospital has more than four surgeons and veterans, none of them are plastic surgeons. Dr Chanjiv, the last serving plastic surgeon at the Civil Hospital, who devised the project and plan for the burns unit, said: “The inaugurations of the burns ICU was stalled at least three times. We have the state-of-the-art equipment worth Rs60 lakh, which shall be functional as soon as the ICU gets operational. However, the biggest problem is manpower. Plastic surgeons and surgeons trained in burn care are needed at the unit. There should also be an option of hiring external consultants if the internal staff is not trained. I had written to the state government that all general surgeons should be trained in burn care.”

Medical Superintendent, Jalandhar, Dr Parminder Kaur said: “It was the choice of the family to go to the DMCH. They chose to go there themselves due to the intensity of the injury. Meanwhile, we are also planning to inaugurate the burns trauma centre soon. We have four competent surgeons to handle severe cases. I have just joined and we are working for ways to make the burns unit functional as soon as possible. Although it would be difficult to provide a timeline for the same as of now.”