New burns wards in three district hospitals located in Southern Telangana is expected to bring down rate of mortality and morbidity. Currently, majority of people who suffer from burn injuries are admitted to Gandhi Hospital and Osmania General Hospital (OGH), both in Hyderabad.
Of the 3,516 burns patients admitted at seven government teaching hospitals in the State in the year of 2018, more than 2380 of them underwent treatment at the two government tertiary care hospitals. Rest were admitted in government teaching hospitals in Nizamabad, Adilabad, Mahabubnagar, Siddipet and Warangal. Out of the total admissions, 950 patients died.
The State Health department officials have recently said that Central government has approved ₹ 1.5 crore for setting up burns wards in district hospitals at Gajwel, Wanaparthy and Nagarkurnool. Officials estimated that it would cost ₹ 3.5 crore for setting up one ward. The funds approved by the Central government is under the component of ‘equipment’. Officials might pitch for more money from the Centre.
Super specialist doctors said that when a person suffers from burns, blood supply to vital organs such as brain, heart, kidneys, decreases. If treatment is provided immediately, multi organ failure can be mitigated. Besides, when a person’s skin gets burnt, he or she might lose body fluids, electrolytes. Immunity too comes down leaving them prone to infections.
Plastic surgeons say that when burns patients go to some district hospitals, they are redirected to to the tertiary care hospitals without being provided any treatment. When a person with burns travels long distances, chances of mortality and morbidity increases.
“Setting up burns wards in three district hospitals will be of help to locals and people from neighbouring district. Besides, patients from Karnataka and Odisha too get admitted at Gandhi and OGH. They will benefit too,” said a doctor who did not want to be quoted.
Rather than losing precious time spent on shifting patients from far away districts to the government tertiary hospitals in Hyderabad, the patients would be provided with immediate medical care at the district hospitals in Gajwel, Nagarkurnool and Wanaparthy after the wards are established.
Director of Medical Education K. Ramesh Reddy said that there are only a few facilities, including at private hospitals, where burns treatment is provided. “So there is all the more need to establish burns wards. The upcoming wards in the three district hospitals will bring down mortality and morbidity among the burns patients,” Dr. Reddy said.
The new wards will be full-fledged treatment centres. Patients will be referred to the tertiary hospitals for advanced treatment.
Apart from the Gandhi Hospital and OGH, burns treatment is provided at Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences, Adilabad, Government General Hospital in Nizamabad, GGH Siddipet and GGH Mahabubnagar, Mahatma Gandhi Memorial (MGM) Hospital, Warangal. The three districts hospitals where burns wards are to be established are in Gajwel, Nagarkurnool and Wanaparthy.
Apart from Adilabad and Nizamabad, all of the hospitals providing treatment for burns are located in Southern Telangana. DME Dr. Reddy said that they will table more proposals to set up the burns wards in other district hospitals, including in northern Telangana.
