GUJRAT: The first-ever trauma centre in the district went functional here on Tuesday in Aziz Bhatti Shaheed Teaching Hospital (ABSTH) following its inauguration by a patient at a ceremony.

The event was attended by a number of local philanthropists and government officials.

The Rasheeda Shafi Trauma Centre has been completed as a public-private partnership project and the total cost (Rs100 million) on construction of building and installation of machinery was borne by the family of a local philanthropist who named the centre after his parents.

The centre has now formally been handed over to the hospital administration in the presence of Gujrat Deputy Commissioner Muhammad Ali Randhawa and Sargodha DC Liaquat Ali Chatha.

Mr Chattha during his stint as Gujrat DCO (March 2014 to January 2017)had launched theproject, convincing the family of businessman Imtiaz Kausar to provide financial resources whereas the land was dedicated by the government.

A senior official of the hospital said owing to some delay in recruitment of the staff against already sanctioned 161 posts, the entire staff and other relevant equipment of the existing emergency ward of [ABSTH] would be transferred to the trauma centerby Wednesday. The emergency ward would be converted into a regular ward for accommodating the patients there.

Imtiaz Kausar told Dawn that the centre would have three latest operation theatres and five wards male, female, surgical emergency, patients receiving and medical emergency. The building had been equipped with air-conditioning system.

Kausar said the CT scanmachine [of the centre] had already become functional whereas digital Xray, ECG, ultrasound machines, computerised laboratory for medical tests were also provided.

He said the Punjab government would give ventilators worth Rs40m for 10 beds of the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), for which procedure had been completed.

Mr. Kausar said the patientreceiving room had been provided with the oxygen system. He said his family was committed to the centre for maintenance of the building and the machinery.

Lala Saeed Iqbal, a physically challenged elderly man and representative of the special persons, announcedfree servicefor wheelchairs and stretchers at the entrance [to the centre] as pledged by some philanthropists.