Renovation halts surgeries at GT

This work, undertaken by the state government8217;s public works department, started nearly a year ago and has continued for an unusually long time.

Ever since renovation work began, hospital authorities made room for a makeshift OT on the ground floor in a room next to the casualty ward, sources said. But since the last one month, some of the equipment and operation tables have been shifted back to the main OT, where work is nearing completion. Thus there is only one operation table now in the makeshift ward, making it tough for surgeons from the plastic surgery, general surgery, ENT ear, nose, throat and orthopaedicsurgery departments to plan their surgeries and meet their schedule.

Since GT8217;s operation theatre usually has a heavy workload, the only option surgeons have is to take up emergency cases on a daily basis and cancel all planned operations, a surgeon said. Also, the makeshift OT is in a small and congested place, so there are greater chances of infection that can lead to a higher mortality and morbidity rate among patients, sources added.

No patients are being admitted for any routine surgery, be it for hernia or routine joint operations or even any planned plastic surgery, sources said. A senior surgeon said even planned operations should be performed as quickly as possible, because any delay is likely to complicate the patient8217;s condition.

Sources said one of the reasons for delay in starting the main OT is the faulty drainage line that gets blocked regularly. It is vital to have a properly functional drainage line because the OT is cleaned repeatedly to prevent spread of infection, a senior doctorexplained.

Dr R B Selmokar, medical superintendent, GT Hospital, said the renovation work has been going on for about 10 months as it is major, having been undertaken at a cost of Rs 73 lakh. This work was taken up because the OT was old and plaster had started peeling off its walls, he said, adding that the OT was also lacking in facilities like central oxygen and central suction.

He admitted that routine surgeries had been stopped for the last three weeks and only emergency work was being taken up as some of the equipment had been sent back to the main OT.

He said the main OT would only be restarted after it cleared an infection check and all efforts would be made to ensure it had a properly functional drainage line. But it would at least take another two weeks for the main OT to be open, he noted.