None of burn injured patients sent to Dhaka is out of danger

GBNEWS24DESK//

None of the patients who have been admitted to Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute with multiple burn injuries from Jhalakathi river launch fire are not out of danger, said the institute’s coordinator Dr Samanta Lal Sen on Friday.

He said 10 persons with multiple burn injuries were referred to Dhaka from Barishal. Of them, five have already arrived. Some 30 per cent to 40 per cent of their bodies have got burnt. None of them is out of danger.

At least 41 persons were killed when a fire engulfed a passenger launch in the middle of river Sugandha in Jhalakathi early Friday morning.

Jhalakathi’s additional police super Moinul Huq said more than 70 persons with multiple burn injuries were sent to Jhalakathi Sadar Hospital and Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital.

At one stage, the authorities of the hospitals could not provide beds to all the patients though the beds were arranged later on.

However, better treatment of the burn injured patients at Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital has become uncertain because there are no doctors though a burn unit exists there.

Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital’s director HM Saiful Islam said, “Our burn unit has remained closed for a long time due to lack of doctors. However, patients with burn injuries are being given treatment at Surgery and Opthalmology wards.”

The weekly holidays of the hospital’s doctors, nurses and staff have been cancelled, he said.

Ten of those whose condition was critical were referred to Dhaka.

An initiative has been taken from Dhaka’s burn unit to resolve the crisis of doctors in Barishal.

Dr Samanta Lal Sen said, “We have already sent a 7-member medical team to Barishal Sher-e-Bangla Medical College Hospital. They are one the way.”