In the wake of substantial monsoon rains causing seepage of sewerage water into the operation theatres, the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC) has taken the decision to suspend open heart surgeries.
Dr. Javed Akram, the caretaker health minister, addressed the media at a press conference held at PIC and announced the closure of the operation theatres for a third-party infection audit.
Due to the closure of seven out of nine operation theatres, cardiac patients awaiting open heart surgeries were already experiencing significant delays. With only two OTs functional, the queue of patients awaiting surgery was growing day by day. Unfortunately, these two OTs have now also been closed down for infection audit, exacerbating the situation.
Previously, when all the operation theatres were fully operational, the PIC conducted 12-14 open heart surgeries on a daily basis. However, Dr. Javed Akram explained that the recent closure was necessitated by a high infection rate. The government has been actively taking daily samples and decided to take this step to ensure the safety and health of the patients.
According to the health minister, two operation theatres at the PIC have been made functional again after clearing them of infection. The remaining theatres will be reopened for surgeries once they are also declared infection-free.
However, it’s important to note that no surgeries have been performed at the PIC for the past three days, suggesting that the situation might be more complex than anticipated.
In an effort to address the issue and accommodate PIC patients, two operation theatres at Jinnah Hospitals have been designated for performing surgeries.
The PIC authorities are diligently working to resolve the infection issue and restore the regular functioning of all operation theatres to resume their critical cardiac services as soon as possible. The suspension of surgeries at the PIC underscores the importance of timely and efficient measures to ensure the safety of patients and the smooth functioning of the medical facility.
