The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare will soon be funding the construction of a new ward with additional beds in order to address the lack of bed facilities at the Burns Ward in the Coimbatore Medical College Hospital (CMCH).

According to the CMCH officials, the hospital provides treatment for burn injuries to patients of nearby districts including Coimbatore, Nilgris, and Tirupur. But the ward has only 18 beds, which is often very insufficient. “We have more than 100 burn cases each year but the 18 beds are not at all adequate,” an official said.

He further informed that about 930 persons had succumbed to burn injuries between 2011 and 2015. “While 170 persons died in 2011, the numbers were 221 in 2012, 182 in 2013, and 191 in 2014. In 2015, about 166 persons died of burn injuries at the CMCH,” he pointed out.

S.K. Sharma, Deputy Director General of the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, visited CMCH to analyze the current situation in the burns ward, in order to allocate necessary funds to the new ward. He also asked about the facilities in the plastic surgery ward and said that the government will allocate funds based on the estimates.

“Construction of the new ward is in the proposal stage. We will give the report once the estimation is over. The centre will release the funds soon afterwards,” he said.

When ready, the ward will treat victims of burn injuries from the entire western region.