Once a lifeline for patients, burns unit at Civil Hospital slips into isolation

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the burns unit at the Ludhiana Civil Hospital was temporarily converted into an isolation ward to meet emergency space requirements. But what was meant to be a short-term shift quietly became permanent. In a twist of irony, the burns unit itself has gone into isolation — locked away, stripped of its identity and forgotten by the very system that built it.

Just opposite the newly inaugurated ICU ward, the shuttered burns unit stands as a silent witness to administrative neglect. While Health Minister Balbir Singh inaugurated the hospital’s upgraded critical care facility in May this year, no one spared a glance at sealed doors of the burns ward — once a lifeline for patients with severe injuries across Ludhiana and nearby districts.

The burns unit, once a vital facility for treating 20–50 per cent burn cases locally, was established in 2009 with a budget of Rs 3.5 crore. The then Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla had laid its foundation stone, allocating Rs 2 crore for infrastructure and the rest for equipment. By 2013, the unit was operational with 30 beds and a dedicated team of medicine, skin and surgery specialists. Patients from Ludhiana and surrounding districts relied on it for timely care.

But over the years, the unit was gradually downsized. By 2018, it had shrunk to just four beds. When Covid-19 struck, the entire ward was repurposed for isolation and the unit’s equipment was pushed into a locked rear section — where it remains untouched to this day. The signage has been removed and the unit has effectively vanished. Now, the isolation ward is opened whenever there is requirement for dengue, gastro or other patients.

“The government built an ICU in front of the burns unit, but forgot the burns unit itself,” said a hospital staffer, pointing to the sealed section.

The consequences are dire. Burn patients are now referred to Rajindra Hospital in Patiala or private hospitals in Ludhiana, often enduring painful journeys of 2–2.5 hours. The recent explosion in Indira Colony, where four persons sustained serious burns due to illegally stored firecracker powder, exposed the gap. All victims had to be sent to Patiala for treatment.

Senior Medical Officer of the Ludhiana Civil Hospital, Dr Akhil Sareen acknowledged that while Ludhiana Civil Hospital no longer has a dedicated burns unit, six beds have been earmarked within the ICU to manage burn cases. Patients with up to 50 per cent burns are treated here but those with facial or neck injuries are referred to other institutions due to the need for specialised care.

When asked about the presence of cubicles — essential for infection control in burn treatment — Dr Sareen admitted that none exist. He also confirmed the absence of a plastic surgeon at the hospital, making the care of burn patients precarious and far from ideal.