Abu Dhabi hospitals face huge costs for obese patients
An operating table that can handle up to 450kg. Many hospitals are buying special equipment for obese patients.
Hospitals are being forced to buy costly equipment to treat patients who are morbidly obese.
One hospital group has spent Dh500,000 this year alone on special scales and super-strength hoists. Others are buying large wheelchairs and reinforced beds and operating tables.
“With every purchase order we get oversized chairs, oversized beds, even oversized hospital clothes,” said Dr Lalu Chacko, medical director of LLH Hospital.
“Lots of obese patients come in. Sometimes they are more than 200kg. It is shocking. Even in the paediatric section, we have really obese children coming in.”
Dr Ananth Pai Kalsank, head of general surgery at NMC Specialty Hospital said he had patients who weighed 290kg. “The main thing we have to do is get operating tables that weigh up to 350kg,” he said. Read More
