New emergency block to be operational at BBH next month

Rawalpindi
A new block of emergency department, having 25 to 30 beds capacity, would become operational at the Benazir Bhutto Hospital (BBH) the next month. It would enhance the overall capacity of the BBH emergency department to 75 beds from 45.
The new block is being constructed after renovation of a part of old building of BBH emergency department which was demolished due to the Metro Bus Project more than nine months back. The provincial government occupied a portion of space owned by the BBH for construction of Metro Bus Project. At that time, the BBH and Rawalpindi Medical College administration requested the CM to direct the concerned authorities to refurbish the portion of building of the hospital which was demolished under the Metro Bus Project.
The new emergency block, having capacity of 25 to 30 beds, would be utilised to deal with orthopaedic and surgical cases coming to the hospital in emergency, said BBH Medical Superintendent Dr. Asif Qadir Mir while talking to ‘The News’ on Wednesday. He said the existing block of the emergency department would continue to serve patients except for orthopaedic and surgical cases. “The existing emergency block has a 15-bed ward to deal with cases of gynaecology department.”
Dr. Mir said at present, the BBH emergency department has a total of three operation theatres, however, keeping in view the increasing load of patients, two new operation theatres have been planned at the under-construction new block of the department.
The influx of patients at the BBH emergency department has almost doubled during last decade while no significant work has been done for extension of the buildings of the hospital as per requirement.
Dr. Mir said the BBH administration is going to request the provincial health department to provide the required furniture for the new emergency block along with equipment needed at the under-construction operation theatres. The hospital administration would need at least 25 to 30 beds for the ward in new emergency block apart from other furniture for the offices in it. “We have prepared the request for the required logistics that would be sent to the health department within a day or two,” he said.
To a query, Dr. Mir said the new emergency block would be run by the available staff of the orthopaedic and surgical departments and no new induction of staff is being demanded by the government, at least, for the time being.