LAHORE: In a rare move, the Punjab Healthcare Commission (PHC) sealed on Tuesday 14 operation theatres of three hospitals in Lahore due to the alarming ratio of infections there.

PHC teams inspected the Fatima Memorial Hospital (FMH) in Shadman, Ittefaq Hospital in Model Town and Services Hospital. One team was headed by PHC Director Dr Riaz Chaudhry and the other by Additional Director Salim Khokhar.

The teams sealed five theatres of the FMH, two of the Ittefaq Hospital and seven operation theatres of the Services Hospital, an official of the PHC told Dawn.

He said the PHC had directed these hospitals not to perform surgical procedures at these theatres and warned that the violation might lead to fine and other punishments provided under the rules and regulations.

He said the inspection team noted that some lab analysis carried out by the FMH and Ittefaq Hospital confirmed the presence of infection at critical areas of theatres.

According to the protocol, the swabs are taken from the frequently used items in the theatres, including surgical instruments, tables etc. The lab analysis of the private health facilities traced bacterial counts and germ level more than the normal ratio.

He said the Services Hospital’s management failed to produce any analysis report to the inspection team.

A doctor who has experience of working as anesthetic at a public hospital told this reporter that environmental contamination in operation theatres poses serious health risk and increases the chances of outbreak of post-operative sepsis and surgical site infections if the protocols are not observed after a certain number of surgical procedures.

Sources said the operation theatres would be desealed only after fresh inspection after corrective steps.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2015

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