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Massive rush at Paediatric Emergency as flu cases rise
Web posted at: 12/4/2009 9:15:1
Source ::: The PENINSULA
DOHA: The H1N1 scare coupled with an actual rise in flu cases and other seasonal diseases with the beginning of winter have caused a surge in the number of visitors at the Paediatric Emergency in Al Sadd.
A majority of the visitors at the facility do not actually need emergency care, but they prefer to go there, despite the huge rush, expecting better and faster care to their children, says its director Dr Khalid Al Ansari.
Opening of satellite centres in Al Rayyan and the Airport Area has not helped reduce the pressure on this main facility, added the official. The facility caters to children aged up to 14 years.
?We have been receiving 1,500 to 1,700 visitors daily with the beginning of winter. The number had gone up to 1,800 during the Eid Al Adha holidays. Unfortunately, 70 to 80 percent of the cases are non-emergency that can be treated in any primary healthcare centre,? said Al Ansari, in an interview with The Peninsula yesterday.
He said the number of visitors during this winter had been higher compared to the previous years.
?Every year we see a surge in cases during winter because viral infections and asthmatic problems go up during this season. The cases are even higher this time, mainly due to a rise in flu cases. Another contributing factor is the steady rise in population in the country,? said Al Ansari.
He added that about two-thirds of the visitors at the Emergency were expatriates from different nationalities.
The Emergency recently set up a separate clinic for H1N1 cases. Any child that comes with flu-like symptoms has been referred to this clinic for diagnosis and treatment.
?We have created an isolation area for such cases so that the other patients would not be exposed to the risk of being infected. We have been receiving 160 to 200 cases daily since opening of the clinic, which has gone up to 250 during the Eid holidays, said Al Ansari.
The flu cases include a number of suspected H1N1 cases, that have been treated at the clinic. Most patients are sent home after giving medication and they recover fast. None of the H1N1 cases reported to the clinic were of a serious nature, added the official.
Besides the main facility in Sadd, there are four other paediatric emergency centres in the country, the satellite centres in Al Rayyan and Airport Area and the walk-in clinics in Al Wakra and Al Shamal.
A new satellite center is getting ready in Al Daain, close to Al Khor that will cater to people in the Northern districts of the country.
The Al Rayyan Center receives 500 to 600 visitors daily, while Airport Center gets 200 to 250 cases.
The walk-in-clinics in Wakra receives 100 to 150 visitors while that in Al Shamal see 20 to 30 cases daily.
?Our focus is to provide quality care. We don t turn back any patient, seeking our service. The Al Sadd Emergency remains crowded through out the year perhaps because people have more trust in our services.
We have been constantly upgrading our facilities with more qualified staff and more advanced equipment, said Al Ansari.
Web posted at: 12/4/2009 9:15:1
Source ::: The PENINSULA
DOHA: The H1N1 scare coupled with an actual rise in flu cases and other seasonal diseases with the beginning of winter have caused a surge in the number of visitors at the Paediatric Emergency in Al Sadd.
A majority of the visitors at the facility do not actually need emergency care, but they prefer to go there, despite the huge rush, expecting better and faster care to their children, says its director Dr Khalid Al Ansari.
Opening of satellite centres in Al Rayyan and the Airport Area has not helped reduce the pressure on this main facility, added the official. The facility caters to children aged up to 14 years.
?We have been receiving 1,500 to 1,700 visitors daily with the beginning of winter. The number had gone up to 1,800 during the Eid Al Adha holidays. Unfortunately, 70 to 80 percent of the cases are non-emergency that can be treated in any primary healthcare centre,? said Al Ansari, in an interview with The Peninsula yesterday.
He said the number of visitors during this winter had been higher compared to the previous years.
?Every year we see a surge in cases during winter because viral infections and asthmatic problems go up during this season. The cases are even higher this time, mainly due to a rise in flu cases. Another contributing factor is the steady rise in population in the country,? said Al Ansari.
He added that about two-thirds of the visitors at the Emergency were expatriates from different nationalities.
The Emergency recently set up a separate clinic for H1N1 cases. Any child that comes with flu-like symptoms has been referred to this clinic for diagnosis and treatment.
?We have created an isolation area for such cases so that the other patients would not be exposed to the risk of being infected. We have been receiving 160 to 200 cases daily since opening of the clinic, which has gone up to 250 during the Eid holidays, said Al Ansari.
The flu cases include a number of suspected H1N1 cases, that have been treated at the clinic. Most patients are sent home after giving medication and they recover fast. None of the H1N1 cases reported to the clinic were of a serious nature, added the official.
Besides the main facility in Sadd, there are four other paediatric emergency centres in the country, the satellite centres in Al Rayyan and Airport Area and the walk-in clinics in Al Wakra and Al Shamal.
A new satellite center is getting ready in Al Daain, close to Al Khor that will cater to people in the Northern districts of the country.
The Al Rayyan Center receives 500 to 600 visitors daily, while Airport Center gets 200 to 250 cases.
The walk-in-clinics in Wakra receives 100 to 150 visitors while that in Al Shamal see 20 to 30 cases daily.
?Our focus is to provide quality care. We don t turn back any patient, seeking our service. The Al Sadd Emergency remains crowded through out the year perhaps because people have more trust in our services.
We have been constantly upgrading our facilities with more qualified staff and more advanced equipment, said Al Ansari.
