Pakistan: Record burn cases expose alarming state failure in public safety

According to a report, the centre remains the province's only specialised facility for severe burn care and continues to receive patients from Afghanistan, where treatment options for such injuries are limited, as reported by Dawn.

According to Dawn, sharing the centre's performance statistics for the past year, BPSC director Prof Tahmeedullah stated that the institution experienced an unprecedented inflow of patients, necessitating a shift toward a province-wide strategy focused on prevention and early awareness. He said the majority of burns treated at the facility could have been avoided through basic safety education and stronger regulatory oversight. The 120-bed tertiary-care centre handled 44,877 patients last year and conducted 9,338 surgeries, a scale of activity that has stretched its current resources.

Prof Tahmeedullah said outpatient visits reached 13,881, while 1,808 people were admitted, marking a 66 per cent escalation compared to previous years. He emphasised that the rising caseload highlighted the urgent need for expanded services and additional specialists to cope with the complex trauma and reconstructive care many patients require. The centre performed 3,104 plastic surgeries, 2,831 trauma procedures and 2,535 burn-related operations, as cited by Dawn.

In response to growing demand, Prof Tahmeedullah said the centre was pushing for the establishment of a provincial burn registry to ensure proper documentation, improved policy planning and enhance patient outcomes. He noted that a formal request had already been submitted to the government to initiate both the registry and a broader prevention initiative. The centre's leadership estimates that around 1.5 million burn injuries occur across Pakistan annually, with roughly 10 per cent requiring hospitalisation and up to 20 per cent resulting in lifelong disability, as reported by Dawn. (ANI)