SWABI, Jan 17: The operating theatre of the District Headquarters Hospital has been shut down in protest for fear of the suspected contamination of instruments with the hepatitis C virus. The hospital management told Dawn on Tuesday that the operating room would remain closed till new instruments were made available for surgical procedures.

The instruments were allegedly contaminated when the executive district health officer conducted an appendix operation of a hepatitis C patient without the hospital management’s permission.

Unless the instruments are replaced the hospital’s doctors said they would not perform operations there.

Sources in the hospital said the executive district health officer Qazi Farman had conducted the operation of one Fazal Amin of Jehangira on Jan 13 after accepting Rs5,000 from the patient. When he reached the hospital Mr Farman told the staff that he would inspect the operating room but in fact he went ahead and carried out a surgery there, the sources said.

Since the patient was not properly admitted to the hospital, the authorities at the facility told him to vacate the place following the operation, they said.

Apparently the medical superintendent had been informed about the case by doctors and paramedics.

The sources said the MS had a laboratory test which showed that the operated person was a hepatitis C patient.

They said doctors had a meeting with the MS Abdul Ahad Bacha and informed him about the situation. The doctors also told the MS that they would not conduct operations in protest against the unscheduled and illegal surgery and would shut down the operating room until new instruments were provided.

“We will not operate on any patient with these instruments and we have already conveyed our decision to the MS,” said a doctor. “When the head of the health department indulges in such an operation what will be the fate of the ailing community?” asked the doctor.

The sources said the MS had informed the director general of health, the district coordination officer and other concerned officials about the prevailing situation.

The sources said the MS had also sought an explanation from the anaesthesia technician, who had accompanied the EDO when the operation was performed. The sources said the MS had also asked why the technician had opened the operating room to the EDO without obtaining permission from the hospital administration.