Surgeries at the government-run autonomous Vijayanagar Institute of Medical Science (VIMS) Hospital, which were stopped on September 12 following the collapse of a roof of an operation theatre, have resumed.
“As many as 12 out of the total 24 tables in three floors were readied and surgeries have been taking place from the first week of November. Efforts are on to ready four more tables by Monday. In addition, the work to renovate the operation theatre on the ground floor with eight tables was on and these would be put to use from next week,” Prabhanjan, Director of VIMS, told The Hindu.
It may be mentioned here that of the three operation theatres, two were closed for taking up maintenance, and only one was in use. Even that theatre had to be closed down after a portion of the roof collapsed on September 12. Luckily, no surgeries were being performed when the incident occurred.
The entire OT complex remaining shut had led to some sort of panic. For, VIMS is the biggest government hospital in the entire Hyderabad Karnataka region and patients from within the district and the surrounding ones and also from neighbouring Andhra Pradesh come for treatment.
There were instances where patients in need of surgery were persuaded to go to the Government Medical College in Koppal. To attend to emergency cases, temporary arrangements were made at the District Hospital in the city. The district administration and the VIMS authorities, perhaps for the first time, thought of taking OTs in private hospitals on rent. However, their efforts went in vain as the proposition was impracticable.
To overcome the situation, relentless efforts were made to get the existing OT complex readied and put to use.
Meanwhile, the process of inviting tenders for the construction of a new OT complex is getting ready and it would be floated soon. “A new OT complex would be constructed at an estimated cost of ₹ 20 crore and another ₹ 5 crore has been earmarked for equipment. The construction work has been entrusted to Karnataka Health System Development Reform Project which would float tenders soon and ensure the early completion of the buildings,” Dr. Prabhanjan said.