LAHORE: Caretaker Health Minister Dr. Javed Akram has said that some operating theatres of the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) have been shut down to conduct ‘infection audit’ following serious complaints of seepage of drain water in the theatres.

Talking to the media here on Thursday, he said recently many serious complaints had emerged in the state-run hospitals of Punjab that several operating threatres of the institutes were infected and surgeons were risking the health and lives of the patients.

He said the PIC was also among the state-run hospitals of Lahore besides Jinnah Hospital and the Pakistan Kidney & Liver Institute (PKLI).

Following the complaints, the caretaker chief minister had ordered to conduct the infection audit of the hospitals, especially of the operating theatres of the cardiac institute.

Operating theatres shut in PIC, Jinnah, PKLI to avert health hazards

The minister said during his visit to the PIC some three days ago, he noticed there was water coming from the drainpipe in the washroom which was located right on the roof of the operating theatres. He said the theatres were immediately closed down and an infection audit was ordered.

“Since heart surgery has been a very sensitive procedure, patients required extraordinary care to avoid infection,” Prof Akram said.

He said two operating theatres of the Jinnah Hospital have been made functional after conducting infection audit.

“We have decided no operating theatre of the PIC will be opened until the infection audit clearance report,” the health minister said.

Earlier, he said, the operating theatres of PKLI had also been closed down due to high infection rate.

PIC Board of Management chairman Dr Farqad Alamgir said on this occasion that the rains in the last few days had hampered the surgery process in the PIC due to which the management had to face serious problems.

PIC Chief Executive Officer Prof Dr Ahmed Numan, Medical Superintendent Dr Muhammad Tahseen, Prof Dr Saira, Dr Imran and other faculty members were present on the occasion.

Published in Dawn, August 4th, 2023