New special burn ward inaugurated in KMC on Wednesday
CHENNAI: Ahead of Diwali, Health Minister Ma Subramaniam on Wednesday inaugurated a new 20-bed special burns ward at the government-run Kilpauk College and Hospital.
The minister said the new annexe building on the campus is expected to be completed in January. Speaking to reporters, Subramaniam said, “Although awareness was created among the public ahead of the festival about safety measures. In Tamil Nadu, at least 95 government hospitals with burn wards are set up to treat patients burnt by firecrackers. Are ready. Also, doctors, nurses and operation theaters will be available round the clock to treat patients in hospitals.”
The new burn ward has 20 oxygenated beds (8 beds in the women’s ward and 12 beds in the men’s burn ward). There are five ventilators in the ward. In 2020, 15 patients were admitted to KMC with burn injuries and one fatal case was recorded. In 2021 and 2022, 30 cases and 38 cases were reported respectively, and no deaths were reported.
The minister noted that no case of death due to fire was recorded in the last two years. This Diwali, we hope no one gets hurt by firecrackers, but we are prepared with precautionary measures.
Medicines will be available to treat burn patients in urban primary health centres. Special burn wards will be opened across the state up to Karthiga Deepam as multiple burn injuries are reported.
Meanwhile, a total of 6,345 dengue cases have been reported in the state and the cases are expected to reach 7,000 in the next two months. “We have been receiving intermittent complaints throughout the year, leading to a rise in vector-borne diseases. At least 40 to 50 dengue cases are reported daily and the situation is under control. About 525 patients are admitted to the hospital for dengue treatment. The admissions are stable,” Subramaniam said.
After a case of Zika virus was reported in Karnataka. At least 64 samples from Tamil Nadu were sent for testing. The minister clarified that the results were negative.
