Public hospitals in the metropolitan lack proper burn unit facilities at par with the world healthcare standards, something which came to glaring light in the aftermath of the tragedy at a factory which burned 21 people to death, Pakistan Today has learnt. Doctors at the Mayo Hospital, where 21 dead bodies and 11 injured were admitted, said that the hospital only has an 11-bedded Burn Unit facility, while Sir Gangaram hospital only has a 4 bedded Burn Unit which also lack facilities. The Burn Unit at Jinnah Hospital could not be completed in last 4 years and now the government, instead of completing it has shifted the funds of project into Bus Transit System. YDA General Secretary Dr Salman Kazmi said the burn victims were housed with general surgery patients because there were no beds for them. “Death rate of burn patients is also very high because the government does not provide enough facilities to the hospitals,” Kazmi said, adding that he wished the government realized that healthcare was more important than a BRT. However, Mayo MS Dr Zahid Pervaiz said only three patients needed admission in the burn unit, while the rest had minor injuries. He said the burn unit had a capacity to admit 20 patients and they were fully equipped to meet any emergency situation. He further said the hospital received dead bodies while no one expired in the hospital, “while only one patient is in a critical condition”.
