Victoria Hospital, Karnataka’s oldest government medical centre is equipped with a 200 bed advanced trauma centre. The facility was set up as the Medical Council of India mandated the same facility for every hospital attached to a medical college. In the case of Victoria, the Bangalore Medical College and Research Centre is its teaching hospital along with Minto Eye, Vani Vilas for women and children and Lady Curzon Bowring hospitals.
“Our aim is to provide the best medical attention to the common man. Trauma being a major public-health problem with high morbidity and mortality, there is a need for comprehensive care at our facility. Now with a standalone building, we are able to handle cases 24/7,” said Dr. HS Satish, medical superintendent Victoria Hospital.
The facility is equipped with four operation theatres. The three OTs each specifically for neurology, orthopaedics and general surgery are operational. From road accidents to burns and mass casualties arising from natural disasters, the Hospital is well prepared to handle. The centre is equipped with advanced diagnostics like CT scan among others.
Out of the 200 beds, 60 each are in the male and female wards. The triage area has 25 beds and 120 are for emergency care where 12 are for head injuries, 38 intensive care units which are fully functional and the remaining beds are to treat patients admitted when mass disasters strikes.
The trauma centre is adequately manned by a team of experts. The centre is led by a special officer Dr. Balaji Pai, said the minister of medical education Sharan Prakash Patil and Dr. PK Devdas, director of Victoria Hospital.
Specific details on the investment on trauma centre were not available. Sources from the state medical education department said that the hospital has embarked on overhaul of infrastructure which is expected to cost around <span class=WebRupee>Rs.</span>130 crore. Last month, the Victoria Hospital also set up the skin bank. It is also gearing up for a renovation of its burns ward. In fact, this is the only other centre in the city which can treat grievous burns injuries, the other being St. John’s Medical College. Other infrastructure upgrade will be at the ENT block, microbiology and pathology which have dedicated blocks going by the influx of patients. There is also a dedicated building on the cards for plastic surgery.