CHK to have state of art pediatric care unit

KARACHI: Civil Hospital Karachi will have its first state of art Pediatric Care Unit`(PCU) against an estimated cost of Rs 20 million by the end of the current year.

Prof. Said Qureishi, Medical Superintendent, Civil Hospital said Thursday that the unit will have state of art intensive care facilities for the child patients in need.

"Our pediatric department is one of the most visited facility catering to the needs of 400 to 600 children at its out-patient department (OPD) and on an average 20 admissions daily," he said.

Prof. Qureishi said these child patients mainly belong to all parts of Sindh and Balochistan while several from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and southern parts of Punjab are also brought to CHK.

"Dug to the heavy load of patients, many of whom brought in serious condition, there was need for a well equipped and child specific intensive care unit," said Prof. Ayesha Mehnaz of PediatricsDepartment, CHK.

To a question, she said the three units of the department presently hold no more than two ventilators while there is also need to increase number of beds.

"We currently have to accommodate two children on one bed due to our restricted bed capacity," said Prof. Mehnaz.

In reply to another question, the senior pediatrician said children brought with respiratory tract infections, malnutrition, diarrhea and typhoid are often in condition that requires intensive care.

The Medical Superintendent of CHK that the hospital's state of art trauma center with provision for updated orthopedic operation center and all essential facilities required to handle emergency as well as accident related trauma will be completed by next year.

"This project is being solely financed by the government against a sanctioned sum of Rs.2.5 billion," he said. (APP)