Kerala - Pathanamthitta   

Operation theatre closed

Staff Reporter

Following detection of bacteria in anaesthesia machines

INFECTION THREAT: The operation theatre at the District Hospital in Kozhencherry has been closed following detection of Klebsiella bacterial infection.

PATHANAMTHITTA: The only operation theatre at the District Hospital at Kozhencherry was closed indefinitely on Friday following detection of infectious Klebsiella bacteria in the anaesthesia machines.

The laboratory examination of routine samples taken from the theatre on May 21 found an alarmingly high Klebsiella count in them, according to hospital sources. The hospital authorities received the laboratory examination results from the Bacteriology Department at Kottayam Medical College on Friday, leading to immediate closure of the operation theatre.

The same kind of organism had reportedly caused hospital-acquired infection, leading to death of several newborns at Sree Avittom Tirunal Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram during the past four months.

Doctors say that the bacteria can cause pneumonia as well as wound infections in patients brought to the theatre.

There were reports of inadequate infection-prevention mechanism and poor sanitation at the district hospital. There are cracks on the walls of the operation theatre. Hospital sources said no maintenance work had been done at the operation theatre ever since its inauguration in 1999.

Unregulated flow of visitors and overcrowding of people before the operation theatre were real problem of concern to the hospital authorities as there was no proper mechanism to regulate visitors to the post-operative wards and to the corridor in front of the operation theatre.

Hospital superintendent M.S. Umesh said a maintenance and modification proposal, estimated at Rs.6.5 lakh, for the operation theatre had been submitted to the district panchayat.

Dr. Umesh said the theatre could not be reopened before ensuring proper sterilisation and adequate infection-prevention measures.

The sources said it might take at least one month for the proposed modification work, once it get necessary clearance from the authorities concerned.

No operation theatre

The operation theatre at the Taluk Hospital in Thiruvalla was closed following infection inside on May 15.

The operation theatre at the 100-year-old hospital was made by converting a car shed attached to it years ago. There were reports of grossly inadequate infrastructure facility at the hospital, especially at the theatre.

Hospital superintendent C.R. Radhakrishnan said the Hospital Development Committee had submitted a Rs-1.5 lakh maintenance proposal to the Thiruvalla municipality.

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