State-of-the-art operating suite opens at AKU

Karachi
A new operating theatre suite with three state-of-the-art operating rooms was inaugurated at the Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) on Friday.
It is the first suite in Karachi with integrated operating rooms (ORs) and part of the university hospital’s ambitious plans to improve the quality of the health care services and surgical facility. The facility covers approximately 9,600 square feet, has three ORs, six recovery rooms, a holding bay for four patients and also a room for families.
Each integrated OR has centralised control of the environment and its features include instant access to patient information, high definition pictures such as X-rays on large screens, video capture and streaming of the procedure in real time. Moreover, the ORs have many safety features to prevent the spread of infections.
Built at the cost of $3.35 million, the ORs are part of the AKUH campaign to raise funds from the corporate sector in Pakistan to improve access to quality health care.
“These ORs are designed to increase patient safety,” said Dr Jamsheer Talati, professor and interim chair of the AKU’s department of surgery. “They are especially beneficial to patients due to their less invasive approach to many surgeries, shorter hospital stays and shorter recovery time.”
He said surgeons using this operating room can not only record procedures for training purposes, but can also stream live to students and doctors anywhere via the internet.