A thoracic department with two operation theaters and a fully equipped six-bed intensive care unit has been made functional at Ojha Institute of Chest Disease of Dow University of Health Sciences. The facility aimed at providing surgical treatment to tuberculosis patients in need, said Prof Masood Hameed Khan Vice Chancellor of DUHS at a simple but impressive ceremony on Tuesday.
He said the university had established the thoracic surgical unit with its limited resources so as to provide free of cost services to its needy patients.
Informing the guests present on the occasion, he said that the cost of each thoracic surgery on an average comes to around Rs 0.2 million, he requested the philanthropists for their support to the project.
Prof Masood Hameed also mentioned that the university has also established new a bronchoscopy Unit.
“DUHS continuously trying to provide economical, affordable and standardized health services to the masses,” he said.
“This is with specific reference to free of cost service for the management of tuberculosis and complications of it as well as that of other chest diseases,” added the vice chancellor of the university. The ceremony among others was also attended by Syed Hashim Raza Zaidi, Dr Ismat Ara, Mrs Mehar Kimani of APWA, Dr Solat Fatimi and senior faculty members of the university.
Senior thoracic surgeon, Prof. Dr. Iftekhar Rathore appreciated efforts being made by DUHS for the well being of resource-less patients and offered to share his professional experiences for further improvement of the surgical unit.
Prof Dr Iftkhar Ahmed, Director of Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases (OICD) on the occasion said that OICD is treating more than 0.2 million TB patients annually.”Of all these patients 10 per cent need surgery,” he said.
OICD Director said the ICU established at the thoracic surgery departments comprises six beds, two ventilators, two bipaps, four cardiac monitors besides other relevant and essential equipments. Prof Iftikhar said Ojha Institute of Chest Diseases is the third constituent institute of the Dow University of Health Sciences. “This institute has been established on the foundation of a TB sanatorium established in early forties of the last century,” he said.
OICD Director said it was now a WHO recognized center of excellence for treatment and management of tuberculosis while its laboratory is the designated provincial reference laboratory for tuberculosis.
“At present there are 144 patients of MDR TB registered with OICD for treatment with some of them admitted so as to complete the initial work up and monitoring of the side effects of the drugs,” he said.
Dr Iftikhar said large majority of the patients are treated as outpatients.
