Eye department at SMS Hospital in Jaipur remains closed due to pseudomonas infection
Out of the 17 patients affected by the infection, nine underwent emergency surgeries in a separate operation theatre.
Last Updated:
SMS Hospital: File Photo
JAIPUR: Routine eye operations were suspended in the Ophthalmology department of Jaipur’s Sawai Mansingh Hospital (SMS) for the fifth consecutive day.
The closure of the Operation Theater (OT) continues due to the presence of a Pseudomonas infection detected last Thursday. Despite efforts, the OT could not be reopened today.
Out of the 17 patients affected by the infection, nine underwent emergency surgeries in a separate operation theatre, while the remaining admitted patients are receiving antibiotic treatment. Follow-up examinations have shown that 6 out of the 17 infected patients have successfully recovered.
According to hospital administration, it is anticipated that it will take an additional 2 to 3 days for the OT to resume routine operations.
Once all test reports are received, all three operation theaters, which are used for regular surgeries, will undergo thorough fumigation. Following fumigation, a detailed inspection of all equipment will be conducted to ensure the accuracy of the test results before resuming operations.
The virus has been detected in only 17 patients thus far, out of a total of 71 surgeries performed from Monday to Wednesday last week.
The conditions of the other two patients are stable and they are being closely monitored. Bacterial samples have been collected from the eyes of all patients with the virus, and these samples have been sent to the microbiology lab for culture examination.
Preliminary tests on various items used in the operation theatre, such as lenses, machines, dressing strips, and medicines, have yielded negative results, according to hospital sources.
As a precautionary measure, once all three OTs have been thoroughly fumigated, the samples from these items will be re-examined to confirm that the infection did not spread through any of these means.
Due to the halt in operations at the hospital for the past four days, the waiting list for patients has grown to over 160 individuals. Typically, more than 40 surgeries are performed daily across all three OTs. However, the postponement of operations during this period has affected the scheduled surgeries of over 160 patients.
