PT News

PIMS Burn Centre to be inaugurated today

ISLAMABAD: President Pervez Musharraf will inaugurate the 20-bed burn centre at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) today amid tight security.While the inauguration function was scheduled for October, it was postponed till early December due to busy schedule of the president. In the meantime, former PIMS executive director Dr Fazle Hadi opened the facility, which is the first of its kind in the twin cities, four days before the completion of his contract last month. A senior doctor at the PIMS said that Dr Hadi did so to take the credit for the Rs 180 million project, which was completed this year, after many missed deadlines.The centre was first scheduled to be opened in April this year, but was delayed till June because of the slow pace of work. That deadline also could not be met and the inauguration was set for early September. The ceremony was then delayed till the end of October awaiting the pleasure of the authorities despite the fact that no proper burn centre existed in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.Till now a makeshift burns unit was functional at the PIMS. Burn victims from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and adjoining areas had to be taken to the Pakistan Ordnance Factories Hospital in Wah, or the Combined Military Hospital in Kharian for treatment. The PIMS Burn Centre has a separate room for every patient and a modern operating system in line with international standards. There is also a dialysis unit, an endoscopic unit, an express laboratory, a blood bank, physiotherapy and a rehabilitation unit, a showering unit and hydrotherapy pools at the centre. All burn patients currently under treatment at the PIMS surgical ward were also to be shifted to the centre. The centre has planned to engage a nurse for each patient’s care. However, the Finance Ministry has reportedly refused to allow the recruitment of required numbers of nurses.Health Minister Ejaz Rahim, Health Secretary Khushnood Lashari, the PIMS Acting ED Dr Ghazala Mehmood, Director General (Health) Shahida Malik, Inspector General (Health) Abdul Majeed Rajput and senior officials will attend the inauguration ceremony for which tight security arrangements have been made.