“It was like a nightmare to me. I only noticed a spark from the electric switchboard and the fire broke out instantly causing me to be severely burned in the hands, chest and legs,” said Mohammad Shamim, 25, a patient of Sheikh Hasina National Burn and Plastic Surgery Institute.
Shamim was admitted to the hospital on Saturday morning after the fire at his factory.
“Here I am receiving the treatment and most of the medicines free of cost. The doctors and nurses are highly trained and cordial to me,” said Shamim, who received second-degree burns and will require two lots of surgery to recover fully.
Like Shamim, there are many other injured patients admitted to the burns institute, the only specialized burn injury treatment institute in the country.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the burns and plastic surgery institute last Wednesday.
“This 12-story burn and plastic surgery institute is the largest hospital in the world of its kind. It has 500 beds, 50 intensive care units, 12 operation theaters,” Dr. Samanta Lal Sen, coordinator of the institute, told Arab News.
He said that it will be an “one-stop treatment center” for burns and plastic surgery. Patients will receive the most advanced treatments from the institute.
The institute contains three different blocks: One is a burns unit, one a plastic surgery unit and the other will function as an academic wing.
“In this institute our doctors and medical professionals will get the opportunity to acquire excellence in their arena. At present we have the largest burns and plastic surgery institute in the world but we dream of being the best in providing treatment facilities,” Dr. Sen said.
The institute has a collaboration agreement with Singapore General Hospital as well as other renowned hospitals in Australia and India under which it will run training and research activities, he said.
It will take a few more months to run the institute at full capacity, Dr. Sen said. “We have a plan to invite world- famous doctors and plastic surgeons in this institute to interact with our local experts, which will eventually help the local professionals to enhance their expertise,” he said.
The Bangladesh government has initially spent $120 million in building the burns and plastic surgery institute, which will provide treatment, research and study facilities simultaneously with a workforce of 2,200 doctors, nurses and medical staff.

From: Arabnews