SAMBALPUR: The Dentistry department of VSS Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla was closed for 24 hours on Tuesday for fumigation after it came to light that a minor surgical procedure was performed on an HIV positive patient in the operation theatre (OT) of the Dental OPD without following the standard protocol.
The OPD of Dentistry department was functioning from the ENT department on the day. The matter came to light after Head of the Department (HoD) of Dentistry Anup Satpathy wrote to the Dean and Principal of VIMSAR, Brajamohan Mishra over the issue.
Satpathy said, on Monday, Assistant Professor of Dentistry department PK Swain performed a minor surgical procedure in the operation theatre of Dental OPD on a patient, who had been admitted to the male surgery ward of VIMSAR since October 12. The patient was brought to the minor operation theatre of Dental OPD for Inter Maxillary Fixation (IMF) by Swain.
The whole procedure was carried out for around two hours. Subsequently, surgical dental extraction of another patient was also done at the same minor operation theatre. However, on Monday afternoon, it came to notice that the patient, who was called from the male surgery ward, was HIV positive and the surgical procedure on him was conducted without following the standard protocols for treating such patients, he said.
Swain, however, said he was aware that the patient was HIV positive and all the requisite procedures were followed while the surgery was conducted on him.
Moreover, the IMF of the patient was conducted at a sub minor operation theatre of the department, while the surgical dental extraction of another patient was conducted at a separate sub minor operation theatre of the department. Separate instruments were used for the extraction, he said.
Dean and Principal of VIMSAR Brajamohan Mishra said he has already intimated the matter to the superintendent of the hospital. The department was closed for fumigation on the day and will function normally from Wednesday, he added.