As someone stole the oxygen trolley. 50 emergency cases turned away in the last two days since operation theatres and ICU can't function
As someone stole the oxygen trolley. 50 emergency cases turned away in the last two days since operation theatres and ICU can't function
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This is NORMAL? An operation theatre that resembles a junk yard with material strewn about Pic/Vinod Kumar T |
Victoria Hospital's 12 operation theatres and ICU have been rendered useless because an oxygen trolley has been stolen and police haven't been able to crack the case.
As a result, no surgical operations have been conducted in the last week.
"We have lodged a complaint with the police and they are taking their own time," said Balagangadhara Tilak, superintendent of Victoria Hospital. "It has hampered the oxygen supply and normal functioning of the hospital."
Normally the trolley, which can accommodate at least 45 oxygen cylinders, is attached to a room from where oxygen, nitrous oxide and central suction flow to operation theatres and the ICU.
Police are clueless and confess in private that they have not been able to trace the culprits. When contacted, police inspector of Victoria Hospital, said, "We are not authorised to talk about the issue as we have received strict instructions from higher-ups."
However, a police official said the case could not be cracked as he suspected the handiwork of insiders. There were two groups one supporting Southern Gas India which supplies oxygen and the other opposing it. They may have tried to sabotage the system, he said.
Tilak hinted at changing the agency.
But while internal problems are being sorted out, patients continue to suffer. Hospital authorities have announced that there would be no more surgical operations until further instructions.
"We have sent back some 50 emergency cases in the last two days, citing non-availability of the ICU," said an official in the hospital.
But as far as Tilak is concerned, things are normal. "Though we don't have the trolley, we have not let the system be affected," he said. "We are using individual oxygen cylinders and everything is functioning normally."
Contradicting his statement, officials in Southern Gas India said they were not able to supply individual oxygen cylinders to the hospital. "They need some 60 cylinders a day and we cannot supply them individually."
When MiDDAY visited the operation theatres, surgical material was strewn about and looked like a junk yard.
And the ICU had been turned into an ordinary ward.
