Kalba Hospital recorded a remarkable increase in the number of patients as well as major and minor surgeries last year compared with 2000. Obeid Saeed bin Fraish, Director of the Hospital, told Gulf News that the medical and other health services at the hospital have been improved because of the support of the Sharjah Medical District.

"Although we are still working at the old building while waiting for the new Kalba Hospital to be completed, our medical staff have worked hard during the last year to treat the people of Kalba and its surrounding areas whose number is still increasing," said bin Fraish.

He pointed out that the new medical equipment and staff which the hospital received last year helped develop the health services at the hospital and reduce the number of cases referred to other hospitals in the region.

Bin Fraish said that a total of 214,201 patients were treated at Kalba Hospital last year, compared with 174,438 in 2000.

"The increase in the number of patients was expected due to the normal increase of the Kalba population, who visited the hospital to benefit from its improving health services and its modern medical equipment," he added.

He noted that a total of 681 major and minor surgeries were carried out at the hospital during 2001, compared with 489 in 2000. Some 4,365 patients were admitted for several days' treatment in 2001, compared with 4,176 in 2000.

A total of 13,488 patients with toothache visited the hospital's dental clinics last year, compared with 13,112 in 2000.

"A slight rise in the number of births was recorded in the hospital last year. A total of 367 babies were born at the hospital during 2001, compared with 356 in 2000," said Bin Fraish.

A total of 4,529 workers were examined at the hospital during 2001, compared with 4,248 in 2000, while only 210 patients were referred from Kalba Hospital to other hospitals last year, compared with 262 in 2000.

Dr Abdul Rahman Mustafa, Technical Director of the Hospital, noted that last year the hospital witnessed several important developments.

"The new medical sections and wards opened at the hospital last year, and the modern medical equipment which we received, has helped improve our health services and reduce the number of patients referred to other hospitals for urgent treatment of brain or nerve surgeries," said Dr Mustafa.

A new complete emergency and casualty section was opened last year, in addition to developing the obstetric clinic.

The hospital management, he said, carried out a project of installing a network for the supply of oxygen and a central absorption system during 2001. The hospital has also been supplied with new artificial respiration equipment and new incubators for the premature babies.

The hospital also received new equipment for the physiotherapy clinic, surgical microscopic equipment for the ophthalmology and E.N.T. clinics, in addition to providing the hospital's ambulances with new artificial respiratory systems and electric shock equipment for heart revival.

"Two new clinics will be operated this month after supplying them with advanced medical equipment.

"These include the digestive disease clinic and the new blood bank and blood donation centre which will both open at the hospital at the end of this month," said Dr Mustafa.

He pointed out that the Sharjah Medical District also supplied the hospital last year with new medical staff including a general surgery consultant, a skin diseases specialist, a practitioner, a dental specialist, a laboratory technician, a medical equipment technician and three new national nurses.