ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister’s Coordinator on National Health Services Dr Mukhtar Ahmed Bharath on Saturday said there was an urgent need to establish burn wards at the tehsil level and specialised burn centres at the district level to ensure accessible care for burn victims.

He was speaking at a three-day national conference organised by the Burn Care Centre and Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto Medical University Islamabad in collaboration with the Pakistan Burn Association. The conference concluded on Saturday.

The first four to six hours after a burn injury are critical and timely medical care during this period can significantly reduce fatalities, he added.

He said public awareness played a vital role in preventing burn accidents. He also highlighted the alarming lack of burn care facilities in hospitals which had led to higher mortality rates.

Says public awareness plays vital role in preventing burn accidents

HEC Chairman Professor Mukhtar Ahmed pointed out the lack of quality research in the medical field and reaffirmed HEC’s commitment to supporting universities through research grants. He called for fostering a culture of advanced research and emphasised organising awareness sessions on burn prevention in universities across Pakistan.

Professor Dr Tariq Iqbal, Vice Chancellor and Chairman of the organising committee, underscored the need for legislation to prevent burn incidents.

He advocated for the establishment of a national burn registry to maintain centralised records of burn patients and called for the implementation of standardised treatment protocols in all hospitals. “Through national prevention programmes, we can effectively raise awareness about burn accident prevention,” he added.

Highlighting the efforts of the Pims-affiliated Burn Centre, Dr Iqbal said that despite limited resources high-quality treatment was being provided. He noted the dependence on imported supplies like bandages for burn patients, but lauded local researchers for developing artificial skin through university-led research projects. He also raised concerns about resource constraints that prevent many patients from accessing treatment.

Dr Samia of the university announced the launch of a nationwide awareness campaign on burn accident prevention through the Pakistan Burn Association’s social media platforms.

The conference resolved to observe a national burn day annually to sustain public awareness efforts.

The next burn conference will be hosted by Mayo Hospital, Lahore.

This year’s conference, themed “Advanced burn care: restoring hope,” featured cutting-edge research with 15 state-of-the-art research papers, 16 oral presentations and 10 posters. International experts, including Dr Faisal Ashfaq (UK), Dr Mark Fisher (USA), Dr George (South Africa), and Dr Sunil Keswani (India) joined prominent Pakistani surgeons in sharing their insights and advancements in burn care.

Published in Dawn, December 8th, 2024