Dengue management facility at private hospital

Rawalpindi : A private health care facility, Watim Medical and Dental College attached hospital in Rawat has been identified for establishing dengue ward and high dependency unit.

Specialized Healthcare and Medical Education Department has constituted a special committee on Monday giving it the task of visiting Rawalpindi immediately to identify private sector teaching institution to establish dengue management facility and to determine requirement of human resources, equipment and medicines etc to functionalize the facility at the earliest.

The committee will make all necessary arrangements for provision of human resources, equipment and medicines in coordination with SH&ME Department, Primary and Secondary Healthcare Department and Vice Chancellor at Rawalpindi Medical University for the appropriate functioning of the dengue management facility, says the order issued by the SH&ME Department.

Vice Chancellor at University of Health Sciences Lahore Professor Javaid Akram who is convener of the said committee visited the Watim Medical and Dental College attached hospital in Rawat and coordination was done with Chairman Punjab Dengue Expert Advisory Group, CEO Punjab Healthcare Commission and Director Communicable Disease Control who are members of the committee.

The committee decides that Watim hospital in Rawat with 350 beds is available for management of dengue patients. The HDU facility is also available with ventilator support. Provincial DEAG will provide reporting forms, monitoring charts and treatment algorithms to be used for clinical management of these patients while human resource in the form of 20 doctors for running this health care facility has already been arranged by DEAG and nominations have been sent to health department for issuing orders of posting.

The committee reported to the SH&ME Department on Tuesday that request for provision of nursing staff has also been conveyed to health department for posting at the facility. The committee said once the doctors and nurses join, a training session will be convened by Provincial DEAG for managing dengue patients. Availability of Dextran – 40 and diagnostic kits for NS1 and IgM Elisa and other investigations will be ensured by Director CDC which is already conveyed to the office of Director General Health Services, Punjab.

According to the committee, Punjab Information Technology Board (PITB) will be taken on board for creation of login and entry of dengue patient on dashboard in this newly established health care facility.

The committee claimed to have informed RMU VC Professor Mohammed Omer of the facility where 350 beds are available with fully equipped HDU/ICU including two ventilators. The VC RMU has been informed and requested to send patients at the facility where three patients have already been reported and they are stable, said Professor Javed Akram who is working for establishing the ward for dengue patients and training doctors at the newly established dengue management facility in Rawat.