The Hindu : Surgery schedules go haywire at MCH

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Jun 28, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Surgery schedules go haywire at MCH

By M. Dinesh Varma

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM June 27. The continued shut-down of one of the twin operation theatres at the Medical College Hospital for the past three months has led to massive cancellation and rescheduling of major cardiology, urology and casualty surgeries.

According to highly-placed sources, the "B'' Operation Theatre, which deals with the bulk of the surgeries of these disciplines, has been closed for months together owing to the delay in the completion of a modernisation programme embarked upon on March 28.

The modernisation, estimated to cost about Rs.75 lakhs, had included renovating the air-conditioning system and relaying of the floors with marble and tiles. Though the project was originally scheduled to be completed in a month, the work has dragged on for four months, throwing surgery schedules topsy-turvy.

Though the annual maintenance of the twin operation theatres is usually undertaken in December-January, the modernisation of the "B'' theatre had been taken up as a priority measures. The "A'' theatre primarily deals with neurology, plastic surgery, surgical gastroenterology and orthopaedic cases.

Among the worst affected are cardiology patients referred for a surgery and many of them have had to turn to private hospitals in desperation, sources said. While some 90 per cent of the cases are elective in nature, the rest are emergency bypass referrals.

It is estimated that the "B'' theatre performs an average of 10 open-heart surgeries a week and 30 cases a month. The unit has only two operating tables which are spared for surgeries in the forenoon and afternoon sessions.

Doctors are at a loss to refer patients developing complications during angioplasty and other closed heart procedures routinely conducted at the Cathlab, for critical management at the dysfunctional "B'' theatre.

The other operating tables in the theatre are allotted to general surgery, urology and Casualty emergencies. Even at this healthy rate, the cardio-thoracic department usually ran a one-month backlog. And, with the total disruption in operative procedures, the backlog has mounted to about five months it is feared.

Apart from the patient hardship, it is also pointed out that the expensive equipment such as the heart-and-lung machine, cardiac monitors and ventilators which were procured by the Hospital Development Society through the SBT are lying idle. Since surgeries are not being conducted, loan repayment schedules are also going haywire.

According to present indications, the modernisation of the operation theatre might take another two months to complete, sources said.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

Stories in this Section

Three new dengue cases reported

Timings of Jansatabdi revised, Sabari extended

Surgery schedules go haywire at MCH

Accident: insurance firm ordered to pay compensation

Probe into fake note case

`Missing girl may have drowned'