–Rs 2.66b six-storey surgical tower has been equipped with modern medical facilities
–Shehbaz Sharif calls it ‘historic moment’, says facilities at tower at par with those in Europe
LAHORE: After 12 years of unreasonable delay, Mayo Hospital’s Surgical Tower – constructed with a cost of Rs2.66 billion – saw the light of day following its inauguration by Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday.
The construction of the surgical tower at Mayo Hospital, which by the way is the country’s largest, was started back in 2006 and it was to be completed within three years, however, the project had been lying in limbo ever since. The project, initiated by former chief minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, was seen as the main reason for the delay in its completion under the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) provincial government.
Inaugurating the surgical tower on Friday, Chief Minister Shehbaz termed its opening a “historic moment” and said that it boasted medical facilities equal to those available in Europe.
He informed the participants that the surgical tower, which was the largest public sector unit of the country, was equipped with 385 beds and 18 operation theaters and had been completed while saving Rs260 million. He also told that the surgical tower would aid treatment of patients who lost limbs and had the facility to conduct tests such as digital angiography, CT Scan, MRI, laparoscopic system, ultrasound, and mammography.
Criticising his political opponents, Shehbaz said that they always spoke of hospitals but not even a single new hospital was built in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
“We made mobile hospitals but they didn’t make any single new teaching hospital,” said the chief minister.
On the occasion, officials told the participants of the gathering that the six-storey tower was equipped with the most modern medical equipment. Surgical transplant facility for physically handicapped persons had also been provided and the system to keep the operation theaters 100 per cent infection free had also been installed.
Similarly, the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis through digital X-ray of chest and stomach cancer had also been provided and the system had been completed by the Punjab government with its own resources.
Moreover, many other facilities including digital angiography, CT scan, MRI, mammography, laparoscopy system, ultrasound tissue dissector, reconstructive and vascular surgeries were also being introduced and the facilities would be available at Mayo Hospital for the first time in the country.
The arrangements to deal with every sort of surgical emergency of the surgical ICU would also be made at the tower and the patients would not have to go to private sector infirmaries for their surgical needs. A 100-bed burn unit had been set up as well, where the latest system of hydrotherapy, shower room, ICU, treatment room and sterilisation was provided and the major burn patients would also have the radiological and diagnostic facility for treatment.
Latest facilities including airfluidised beds, laser-doppler and hydrotherapy bathtubs had been arranged at the tower too besides specific ventilators for the patients in ICU.
The authorities told the chief minister that besides the medical equipment, CCTV cameras and paperless IT system would be utilised for around-the-clock monitoring and in addition to it, training of staff in respect of radio diagnostic, general surgery, burn surgeries, as well as other latest facilities, had also been arranged.
The chief minister then appreciated the Health Department for ensuring timely and qualitative construction of the surgical tower and acknowledged that the building was equipped with latest medical facilities that would provide best healthcare facilities to the patients.