Manchar hospital OT closed over safety laps after urination incident

Manchar sub-district hospital has been ordered to keep its OT closed after patient reportedly urinated on the table, raising disinfection concerns before cataract surgeries resumed four days later

Pune: Sub-district hospital in Manchar, Ambegaon Tehsil of Pune district has been ordered to keep its operation theatre closed after a patient reportedly urinated on an operating table, raising concerns over whether proper disinfection was carried out before cataract surgeries resumed four days later.

Manchar sub-district hospital has been ordered to keep its OT closed after patient reportedly urinated on the table, raising disinfection concerns before cataract surgeries resumed four days later. (Getty Images/iStockphoto (PIC FOR REPRESENTATION))

In a show-cause notice issued on October 23, district ophthalmic surgeon Dr Anjallee Kulkarni flagged alleged lapses at the sub-district hospital in Manchar, Ambegaon taluka. The notice said a patient urinated on the operating table on October 17 and that cataract surgeries were subsequently performed at the facility on October 21.

The notice alleged that the operation theatre continued to function without the required swab being collected for testing, despite orders from senior officials. It warned that inadequate infection control could put patients’ eyesight at risk.

“Due to the failure to follow the prescribed sterilisation procedure, patients undergoing surgery at the camp could develop endophthalmitis, potentially resulting in permanent blindness,” the notice stated, a copy of which Hindustan Times has seen.

District Ophthalmic Surgeon has issued the notice to the medical superintendent, Dr Rahul Joshi, Rural Hospital Taleghar, directing him to submit a detailed written explanation and supporting documents within three days of receiving the notice. The questions include what cleaning and disinfection procedures were followed after the incident, who verified that sterilisation was complete, why a swab was not collected and whether the October 21 surgeries were conducted after the required checks.

The notice also seeks records of any instructions issued by senior officials and details of any patients who may have developed infections or other complications.

Dr Kulkarni said, “Until further orders, the operation theatre shall remain closed. Further administrative action will be taken if the explanation was not submitted within the deadline or was found unsatisfactory.”