One-stop emergency centre opens at DMCH

Authorities of Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) yesterday launched its new One-stop Emergency Centre, to provide patients with medical tests and emergency services under one roof.

State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Zahid Maleque inaugurated the centre at around 2:30pm. He said the government is planning to establish such centres in every districts.

The newly launched centre is located in a five-storey building, also known as the “new building”, with an operation theatre on the second floor and post-anaesthesia care unit on the first floor.

The emergency centre has 15 beds, including four in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), six in High-Dependency Unit (HDU) and five observation beds, along with all diagnostic test equipment including CT scan, ECG, nebulisation, cardiac monitor, digital X-ray, ultrasonography, and a mini pathology laboratory.

There is also a five-bed casualty observation ward and three-bed minor OT to treat patients of neuro-surgery and head injuries.

“Around 1,200-1,500 patients come to emergency unit every day. It was difficult for two medical officers and four emergency doctors to provide treatment to such a huge number of patients properly,” said Brig Gen AKM Nasir Uddin, director of DMCH.

“Considering the situation, DMCH authorities have taken an initiative to set up all the test equipment and bring all facilities under one roof, so that patients do not need to wander around. This kills time and worsens their condition,” he said.

“It will take a maximum of two hours to complete necessary tests and the primary treatment of each patient. They can be shifted to the relevant wards once their condition becomes stable,” he added.