Overcrowding crisis at Rashid Hospital keeps sick at bay

Dubai’s Rashid Hospital is currently suffering from over-crowding due to an increase in the number of patients, especially victims of accidents.

According to a report in ‘Emarat Al Youm’ newspaper, the hospital is operating at well over its capacity.

Officials said that the hospital receives 400 cases per day, 300 of which are only in the emergency ward, while it is prepared to only handle 100 cases per day.

“The hospital was forced to suspend or postpone making surgeries for several days due to a lack of beds.

“We stopped receiving non-emergency cases and directed them to go to other hospitals,” said one official in the report.

As many as between 25 and 40 cases were rejected and there are cases in the emergency ward who have to wait for three days until a bed is provided, the report stated.

Dr Younis Kathim, Director of Rashid Hospital, said the hospital is no longer able to accommodate patients transferred from the Northern Emirates and other private hospitals.

He said: “The large number of patients who are visiting the hospital has led to overcrowding in the hospital and stopped the hospital from receiving many cases that may be more in need of treatment.”

He added that in one case due to a delay a patient attacked the doctors and caused damage to one of the computer units in the hospital.

He explained: “The hospital uses a system for dealing with emergencies rapidly.

“Based on such classification the physicians provide the proper medical service to the cases.

“The reason patients from other hospitals are moved here is because those hospitals are not adequately equipped.”

He added that some of these hospitals give their doctors leave on Fridays and Saturdays and public and annual holidays.

32 surgeries per day

Dr Younis Kathim, Director of Rashid Hospital said, “Rashid Hospital performs about 32 surgeries per day.

“This number of surgeries is very large compared to European hospitals where some only do multiple fractures surgery once a week,” he said.

Dr Kathim said: “The capacity of the Rashid Hospital was 200 beds in the past and it has been increased to be 500 beds and are still in need of increasing the number.”

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