Doha: Qatar’s only dedicated burns unit, located at Hamad Medical Corporation’s Al Wakra Hospital, soon to have fat grafting and laser therapy to treat patients with burn scars, says a senior official.
Parwaneh Al Shibani, assistant executive director of nursing said the plan is to to introduce new services in the coming months.
She says while the focus of her work in caring for those who’ve been burned, preventing burns from happening in the first place is also part of the service provided by the unit.
The unit has cared for over 6,400 patients at its outpatient clinics so far this year. As of November 2019, the unit staff also cared for more than 80 pediatric patients at the pediatric ICU, over 180 patients who required surgical intervention, and over 200 patients who received reconstructive burn treatment at Al Wakra Hospital’s plastic surgery division.
“Caring for patients who have been burned is complex as the injury can be one of the most severe forms of trauma. Patients with burn injuries often present with unique clinical, psychological, and social challenges,” said Al Shibani said.
Patients fear their “employment being comprised, the loss of income, and uncertainty about the future.” Al Shibani says the unit provides patients with multi-disciplinary care.
“More serious injuries will require treatment by a larger multi-disciplinary team. Patients treated at the burns unit are supported around the clock by physicians from more than a dozen medical and surgical specialties, including neurosurgery, vascular surgery, and psychiatry, as well as nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, psychologists, and social workers. We work together as a team,” she added.
The burns unit at Al Wakra Hospital was relocated from Rumailah Hospital in 2014. In two floors, the unit has a dedicated operating room, inpatient rooms, an occupational therapy room, consulting rooms for outpatients, and reception and recovery spaces.
“In addition to the burn care provided by our specialized team, we also work closely with government agencies, including the General Directorate of Civil Defense, the Ministry of Education and Higher Education, and Primary Health Care Corporation, as part of our program to prevent burn injuries,” Al Shibani added.