In response to heavy monsoon rains causing seepage of sewerage water into operation theatres, the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) has suspended all open heart surgeries, reported by Pakistani English news website.
According to the reports, the decision came after concerns about a high infection rate prompted the hospital’s caretaker health minister, Dr Javed Akram, to order a third-party infection audit.
With seven out of nine operation theatres already closed, patients in need of open heart surgeries have been experiencing significant delays. The situation worsened as the remaining two functional operation theatres were also closed down for the infection audit, leading to a growing queue of patients awaiting critical surgeries.
Prior to the closure, the PIC had been conducting 12-14 open heart surgeries daily. However, the recent suspension was deemed necessary to ensure the safety and health of patients. The government has been actively monitoring the situation by taking daily samples, and the closure was seen as a preventive measure to address the issue promptly.
Dr Javed Akram revealed that two operation theatres have been cleared of infection and are now operational again. The hospital authorities are working diligently to resolve the infection concerns in the remaining theatres, aiming to reopen them for surgeries once declared infection-free.
It’s evident that the situation is more complex than initially anticipated, as the PIC has not performed any surgeries for the past three days. The hospital management is focused on resolving the issues swiftly to restore the regular functioning of all operation theatres and resume critical cardiac services at the earliest.
To accommodate patients affected by the suspension, Jinnah Hospitals have stepped in by designating two operation theatres for performing surgeries.
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