Children's ward 'in need of expansion'

Ras Al Khaimah: Parents yesterday criticised Saqr Hospital's paediatric ward, saying its low number of beds means children are often put onto adult wards as the children's ward is frequently full.

The families said in their complaint, which was forwarded to the Medical District, that they have repeatedly complained about the 21-bed ward and its low capacity but so far no action has been taken.

Suffering

The families added that it was not a practical alternative to admit their ailing children to adult wards as it had a negative psychological effect on them.

The families added they have been suffering because of this problem, especially as the Saqr Hospital plays a major role in the healthcare services offered in Ras Al Khaimah.

Abdullah Al Shahin, who heads the Medical District, said his department had been reviewing the conditions of the paediatric ward at Saqr Hospital as part of a strategic plan that the district will implement to improve healthcare services in the emirate. He added that the district is putting in place a comprehensive development plan to enhance the emirate's medical infrastructure and top priority will be given to Saqr Hospital as it is a key hospital in the emirate.

Difficult

"The problem is not with the limited number of beds in the paediatric ward at the hospital, but the problem lies with the small size of the ward itself," he said.

He added that the hospital was built at the beginning of the 1980s and that made expansion of the paediatric ward difficult.

"Had the size of the ward been bigger, the district could easily have provided the ward with enough beds to accommodate the admitted children," he said.