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Manila to build burn unit in Ospital ng Maynila

MANILA, Dec. 30 (PNA) -- Manila’s city government will soon build a burn unit at the Ospital ng Maynila (OsMa) that will provide free and comprehensive treatment for the city’s poor residents.

Mayor Joseph Estrada said Friday the specialized burn unit, once completed, will be comparable to private hospitals in terms of services, facilities and equipment, and medical experts.

“For so long, we don’t have our own burn unit in the city to care for burn victims, that is why I have thought of putting up our own, in OsMa. Burn treatment entails huge costs in private medical facilities," he said.

OsMa director, Dr. Raquel Mariñas, said it will be the first such facility in Manila, noting that it will have its own operating room and equipment, and doctors specializing in burn injuries. Based on initial plans, the burn unit will be able to handle up to six patients, she said.

"PGH (Philippine General Hospital) and Jose Reyes Hospital cannot accommodate all the needs of Manileños. Our burn unit will be able to treat up to third-degree burns, so it will be a highly-specialized burn unit and hopefully we can do it as soon as possible," said Mariñas.

Estrada said the OsMa’s burn unit, part of the city government’s PHP500 million hospital modernization program, would serve patients that would sustain burn injuries in case of disasters and calamities, as well as serious firecracker-related injuries during Christmas and New Year revelries.

OsMa, located along Quirino Ave. in Malate, is the city’s flagship hospital. It has a 300-bed capacity and is equipped with modern medical equipment, such as CT Scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), digital X-ray and ultrasound machines.

According to the Department of Health, only five hospitals, all run by the national government, have burn units. They are the PGH, Jose Reyes Memorial Medical Center, East Avenue Medical Center, Southern Philippines Medical Center in Davao City, and Quirino Memorial Medical Center. (PNA)

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