Two mechanical ventilators at the emergency operation theatre attached to the casualty ward of Government Medical College Hospital, Kozhikode, are reportedly not functioning for around a month. Doctors are now forced to resort to manual methods to provide breathing support to patients undergoing anaesthesia.
The operation theatre at the hospital works round the clock, all 365 days. A mechanical ventilator helps patients breathe when they are not able to do it properly on their own, especially during surgeries. Its main benefit is that the doctor can control the equipment in tandem with the condition of the patient.
Hospital sources said that both the machines being used while giving anaesthesia during surgeries at the casualty ward stopped functioning within a span of a month. Now, the doctors are using manual ventilators or self-inflating bags to provide breathing support. According to them, this takes more time. The patients may also have to be under sedation for long.
In manual ventilation, the gas inside the bag is force-fed through a one-way valve to the patient and there is a chance of it coming out. However, in mechanical ventilation, the gas is pushed to the lungs through the airways. “In a day, around 15-20 patients who are admitted to the casualty ward need emergency major surgeries, a majority of whom require ventilator support while undergoing anaesthesia. Accident victims or those undergoing neurosurgery or general surgery need it the most. We cannot afford not to have mechanical ventilator support for long,” said the sources.
A high number of complex emergency surgeries are done at the casualty ward here and patients from across north Kerala depend on it.
However, Fijul Komu, Superintendent (Casualty), told The Hindu on Wednesday that steps had been taken to ensure that patients were not troubled. “Both the machines are expected to resume functioning in another two weeks,” he said.
