Burns Unit – a ray of hope for thousands of children in Faisalabad

Yousaf Cheema

Faisalabad: Seven-year-old Maryam* was playing outside her house in Faisalabad when she decided to go find her mother in the kitchen. Her mother had kept the milk on the stove to boil when Maryam entered the kitchen, she decided to hold the stove but was unable to do so and inadvertently ended up spilling boiling milk on her entire body. Her parents heard her cries and immediately rushed her to the hospital.
Maryam’s father Muhammad Aslam who rushed her to the hospital stood with severe distress on his face. Her body has been severely affected and only her face had no burn wounds, the father said.
“She was playing outside, we have no idea when she went to the kitchen and scalded herself,” he shared. Her family members rushed her to the Pindi Bhattian THQ initially and then her case was referred to the Allied Hospital.
The doctors informed the family that 70% of their daughter’s body was affected by the burn wounds. The child remained in the intensive care unit for more than a week and was later shifted to the ward.

Over 5,000 children treated for burn wounds and 53 lost their lives in 2022

Maryam is among 5,000 children who were treated at the Burns Unit of the Allied Hospital in 2022, the official figures reveal. Scald wounds remained the most common types of injuries sustained by the children; at least 1,200 received burn wounds after spilling boiling milk on themselves, 1,000 boiling water, and 800 hot tea. Around 1,500 children received burned wounds while playing with matchsticks, candles where they got burnt after being exposed to the fire. Two hundred and fifty children were injured because of hot iron and/or electrocution, while 150 were injured after coming in contact with chemicals.
Official figures reveal that 53 children lost their lives due to severe burn and scald wounds in Faisalabad last year. The data has been collected from the Allied Hospital which has the only Burns Unit in the entire district with no other burns ward dedicated to treating injuries of children.
Dr Saeed Ashraf, who works at the Burns Unit, said that children face more severe burn injuries because their skin is thinner than that of adults. He shared that in his experience he has seen people bringing the children to the hospital after applying sand, toothpaste, mud, and even salt to their burn wounds. Most people don’t have any awareness about treating burn wounds, and their home remedies end up making the wounds worse and more difficult to treat.
As a standard practice, people should keep pouring water on their burn wounds till there is no longer any irritation or burning sensation, he added.
Treating burns and scalds
•       Medical and health experts advise people to do the following to treat a burn wound:
•       Cool the burn with cool or lukewarm waters for more than 20 minutes.
•       Avoid using ice, iced water, applying any creams or greasy substances such as butter to the wound.
•       Remove jewellery or clothing near the burnt area. But people are advised to not remove any clothing or material which may be stuck to the skin.
•       If the burn is severe, then keep the child warm and calm and immediately rush him/her to the hospital.
Parents have also been advised to never leave cooking unattended especially if they have children around the house, and keep an eye on their children if they are in the kitchen, and keep hot drinks and handles out of the reach of children.
Types of Burns
Burns are classified as first, second, and third degree depending on the depth of the wound. First-degree burns only affect the outer layer of the skin, known as epidermis. Leaving the skin red, painful, dry with no blisters. Second-degree burns involve epidermis and part of the dermis layer of skin and it leaves the burn site red, swollen, painful with many blisters. Third-degree burns destroy the epidermis and dermis and damage bones, muscles and even tendons.
*The name has been changed to protect the identity of the child.