Multan’s first burns and plastic surgery centre is now operational
A state-of-the-art burns centre has started working at the Nishtar Hospital in Multan. It is the only centre in south Punjab where plastic surgery is performed.
Patients with burns injuries will not need to be rushed to centres in Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad anymore.
Plastic surgery for every body part, including fingers, hands, feet and ears, is possible at the 74-bed burns unit. The centre has a modern intensive-care unit of its own as well.
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“We are conducting all types of plastic surgeries. We try to serve every single patient that comes here,” Dr Sohail said, adding that the doctors did not want any patients to return from the clinic without treatment.
“We are doing plastic surgeries of the face and other body parts,” he said. The project was initiated on the directives of the Punjab government in the Musharraf era as there was no plastic surgery unit in the entire southern region.
The Pak-Italian Burns Center was established at the Nisthar Medical University Multan four years ago in 2015. The burns centre has been upgraded with cutting edge equipment recently.
Two experienced surgeons have been called in from England as well. The foreign doctors are training the local surgeons of the centre.
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At least 20 surgeries are being conducted on a daily basis at the centre. At least 110 plastic surgery operations have been completed so far since March 13. The foreign surgeons will conduct surgeries from March 17 to 24. Later, the local doctors will continue the surgeries.
The centre, also known as Acid Burns Treatment Center, was launched by then chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi 13 years ago. But it had been mainly dysfunctional because the required latest apparatus was unavailable. The PML-N government inaugurated the centre four years ago after providing the requisite machinery.
“I have come from Bahawlnagar with a patient. Previously, we had to go to Lahore or Karachi for plastic surgery operations,” a man told SAMAA TV. “But now the facility of latest plastic surgeries has been made available. The hospital staff is good as well.”
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The burn centre needs more doctors. At present, it does not have an anesthetist or radiologist. There are six vacancies for senior registrars of anesthesia and 13 out of 15 positions of medical officer (anesthesia) are yet to be filled. There is no social medical officer, medical officer of radiology and medical officer of emergency available either.
At least 31 posts of medical officers [10 general medical officers, 13 medical officers of anesthesia and three women medical officers] are lying vacant. Similarly, only one vacancy [Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery] could be filled so far out of the eight teaching staffers. The positions of 14 head nurses and 30 general nursing staff are also yet to be filled.
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Article source: https://www.samaa.tv/news/2019/03/multans-first-burns-and-plastic-surgery-centre-is-now-operational/