DMCH burn unit service to get a boost

When the whole country was literally up in flames in the pre-election violence last year, the burn unit of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) rose to become the last place of hope for victims.

Its doctors and staff with their sincere efforts saved many lives and cured scores. Yet they feel they could have saved many more if the unit was well-equipped with modern amenities.

Their longtime wish was partially fulfilled yesterday, through Bangladesh Bank's donation of 12 pieces of modern equipment including two cardiac monitors, one ABG machine with electrolyte, four pulse oximeters, a portable X-ray system, two syringe pumps, and two infusion pumps, worth Tk 50 lakh.

The handover ceremony was held on the burn unit premises.

"Earlier, for X-rays we had to move even the most critical patient to the radiology and imaging department, about 200 yards from our unit. With the portable X-ray system, the patient will be relieved of such hassles," said Tanveer Ahmed, assistant professor of the National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery, DMCH.

However, more facilities need to be added to the unit with 100 beds, which serves around 500 burn patients from across the country daily with its 72 nurses.

Many patients take treatment lying on the floor, while children and adults with less than 10 and 20 percent burns respectively are advised to be treated as outpatients. 

The hospital has the best burn management unit in the country but it still lacks amenities to treat patients with more than 50 percent burns, inhalation injures, and electrical burns. 

It now needs a modern wound-dressing chamber, sufficient respiratory supports for inhalation injuries, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, especially for the electrical burn patients, said a doctor.

"Most patients died of infection either because their wounds were dressed casually or they were treated in an unhygienic environment on the floor. Around 50 percent of infections can be checked by using the modern dressing chamber," said a doctor at the unit, preferring to remain unnamed.

The hospital has arrangements for only five respiratory supports in the ICU but it receives 10 to 12 patients with inhalation injuries daily in winter and four to five in other times, he said. "Because of the shortage, patients are given respiratory support only when their condition is the worst."

Dr Tanveer Ahmed said the physicians had no choice but to chop off limbs affected by electrical burns due to a lack of hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

On the back of such shortages, Atiur Rahman, Bangladesh Bank's governor, urged all banks and financial institutions to assist the burn unit by providing modern tools and help increase its capacity.

DMCH Director Brig Gen Mustafizur Rahman, Adviser of National Institute of Burn and Plastic Surgery Dr Samanta Lal Sen, and the institute's Director Prof Abul Kalam, among others, also spoke.