The State-run Minto Ophthalmic Hospital is all set to resume elective surgeries from October 5. The hospital was only conducting emergency surgeries so far. It began out-patient services on June 24.
Hospital director B.L. Sujatha Rathod told The Hindu that the plan was to start off with 15-20 surgeries per day. “Usually during the pre-COVID-19 days, we were conducting over 100 surgeries. Now, we will limit the daily number of surgeries till our staff get adjusted to operating with PPEs. Also, our staff are being trained on the additional precautions that they need to take now,” she said.
The hospital had stopped its regular functioning when Victoria Hospital was converted into a COVID-19 facility during the early days of the pandemic. Nearly 100 beds in Minto were also set aside for COVID-19 patients.
‘Patient flow is minimal’
“Although we have resumed our OPD services, the patient flow is minimal as people are generally scared to visit hospitals. Our daily patient flow of over 600 during pre-COVID-19 days has reduced to less than 100 now. Although we were open for emergency surgeries, we have not done more than six surgeries in the last month,” the director said. She said all the operation theatres in the hospital had been fumigated and tests for culture growth had been done.
“Some reports have come and they are negative. A few more are expected in a day or two. We want to ensure patients do not catch any infection within the hospital. As it is not uncommon for fungal growth to happen in any centralised air-conditioned building that has remained closed for months, we want to be doubly ensure that the operation theatres are fit for use again,” the doctor added.