SWABI, Jan 27: A two-member inquiry team has recorded statements of different people about closure of the operation theatre of the district headquarters (DHQ) hospital Swabi for more than a week.

The theatre was closed down by the hospital management as a protest because they alleged that instruments in the theatre had got contaminated with hepatitis-C virus when the executive district officer (health) had conducted appendix operation of hepatitis-C patient Fazal Amin without permission of the hospital management.

The closure created various problems for patients and they were forced to rush to either Mardan or Peshawar for operations.

Sources told Dawn on Friday that the theatre had been opened and new instruments provided to the hospital management for conducting operations.

The situation had created a gulf between the EDO and the staff of the GHQ hospital and accusations and counter-accusations had continued unabated for some time.

The inquiry team comprising Dr Shahnam Bacha and Dr Sajjid Shaheen have recorded statements of GHQ staff, doctors and patients.