Abu Dhabi // Tawam Hospital in Al Ain is spending Dh3 million (US$820,000) to add seven paediatric emergency beds to address a shortage of facilities at the centre, which treats about 35,000 children a year. There are now only three paediatric beds in the emergency room. Dr Joseph Manna, chairman of the emergency department, said: "This will make a huge difference. We are running out of beds. At times we are at full capacity. Adding seven beds frees up a lot of beds in the treatment area and also helps us treat more children."
Children wait for hours to be seen by medical staff at busy times, he said. "Currently we have three designated beds in our main emergency room for children; these beds are in the centre of the emergency department and we have to use other beds when we have a large volume of children. "There are patients around them needing blood work or IV fluids, and we have a lot of crying children that distract a lot of other patients."
The seven beds are being installed in a new building, equipped with the latest technology, that has its own ambulance drop-off point. Two of them will be in isolation rooms to prevent the spread of infections. The unit treats many cancer patients who may develop fevers because of their compromised immune systems, he said. That makes them very susceptible to other infections. Paediatric emergency doctors said the cases they see range from fevers, measles and pneumonia to minor or major traumas and newborn babies with jaundice.
Alexander Jankuloski, the nurse manager, said the new beds would make a big difference to the flow of patients through the emergency wards. "Having more beds helps us to see more patients. And it will be set up in a more child-friendly way in terms of colours and such. It will be less threatening for the children." Building began four months ago and the new facilities are expected to be finished by the end of March 2009.
In 2006, Tawam Hospital, which is the biggest government hospital in the emirate's eastern region, began a 10-year affiliation with John Hopkins Medicine International and since has made many changes in its operations. @Email:munderwood@thenational.ae