For the nearly 3,000 patients with burn injuries, mostly women and children, who arrive at Government Kilpauk Hospital annually, the new burns centre, work on which has just begun, will be welcome.
The foundation for the Rs. 5-crore project, which was sanctioned in March 2012, is now being laid, said P. Ramakrishnan, dean of the hospital. It will be a state-of-the-art centre of excellence, he said.
Spread over 2,720 sq. metres, the proposed three-storey building will house the casualty, operation theatre and wards on the ground floor, and an intensive care unit, a minor operation theatre and a physiotherapy unit on the first floor. Plans for a second floor that may come up later, include an auditorium for classes and meetings, faculty rooms and a rehabilitation unit, said J. Jaganmohann, head, burns and plastic surgery department at the hospital.
A total of 65 employees will be working at the centre, which will have 75 beds, he said. At present, the hospital, which serves as the nodal centre for treatment of burn injuries in the State, has a 50-bed unit. Often, this proves insufficient, leading to congestion and the potential spread of infections, which could increase morbidity and mortality.
Also, because of the lack of space, partitions cannot be made, and the patients do not have any privacy, said V. Jayaraman, former head of the burns and plastic surgery department at the hospital, who is involved in the project. The new centre envisages a three-foot space between beds, cubicles, dressing area for outpatients and bathrooms for every ward, he said.
A list of the new equipment required had already been sent, said Dr. Jaganmohan, and includes a Rs. 45-lakh device that will easily assess the depth of a burn, and an electronic weighing machine to weigh patients who are on stretchers. Dr. Jaganmohan said the hospital plans to ask for the sanction of more funds in its next proposal, to create posts for four social workers as well as more doctors. At present, unit has 11 doctors, a number that would not be sufficient for 75 beds, he said.
The aim of the centre, Dr. Jayaraman said, is to ensure that all patients are treated, as well as physically and socially rehabilitated. “Counselling, and then ensuring the patient can lead a regular life are all vital aspects to ensure complete treatment,” he said.
