15 operation theatres barred from surgery

LAHORE: Punjab Healthcare Commission has suspended surgeries in 15 operation theatres of 11 hospitals, and issued show-cause notices to 33 healthcare establishments for violating the PHC Act 2010, and not implementing the Minimum Service Delivery Standards.

According to a press release issued Tuesday, one each operation theatre of the Tehsil Headquarters Hospitals at Arifwala, Liaqatpur, Kot Momin, Kabirwala, Sarai Alamgir, Bhaghtanwala and Sahiwal, and two each of the Layton Rehmatullah Benevolent Trust (LRBT) free eye hospital, Sargodha, Bewal International Hospital Gujar Khan, THQ Hospital, Khanpur and DHQ Hospital, Chiniot.

The respective administrations of these hospitals have been directed by the PHC to suspend surgeries in these operation theatres since these operation theatres were unfit for any medical procedures. These theatres would become functional only after the administrations concerned would submit laboratory reports and written replies to Punjab Healthcare Commission after having implemented the standardised measures in these theatres.

In its 37 inspections of both public and private hospitals of different districts during the last two working days, notices were served on seven hospitals for not implementing measures for the disposal of the medical waste.

These include Bewal International Hospital Gujar Khan, THQ hospitals of Kot Momin, Bhagtanwala and Sahiwal (Sargodha), Nishter Institute of Dentistry, Multan and Multan Institute of Kidney Diseases.

It is pertinent to mention that during January this year, Punjab Healthcare Commission inspected 232 public and private sector hospitals. Out of these 199 hospitals have been issued show-cause notices, and 192 operation theatres have been suspended for all kind of surgeries.