TENKASI: Patients at District Government Headquarters Hospital (GHQH) in Tenkasi have alleged use of unsterile surgical instruments and gauze pads to treat them in casualty and postoperative wards, putting them at high risk of infection. S Rajan of Puliyangudi told TNIE he was recently discharged from the GHQH and due to the use of unsterile instruments on him, the wounds on his leg and thigh had got infected.
"As I work at a pharmacy, I immediately realised that the suturing needles and forceps used were not sterilised. The staff claimed that the hospital lacked an adequate number of autoclaves to sterilize all instruments. After I brought this matter to the duty doctors, the staff was instructed to sterilize the instruments and gauze pads using the autoclaves installed in the operation theatres," he added.
A doctor at the GHQH said they have no other choice but to use unsterile instruments since not enough autoclave machines are there in the hospital. "Due to this, the wounds on patients get infected, and they have to spend more days at the hospital. Even women, who undergo caesarean delivery, face this problem. We have taken this issue to the notice of the hospital administration, but to no avail," he claimed.
When contacted by TNIE, Superintendent of GHQH R Jesline said the hospital administration was working towards setting up three new autoclave machines in a week. "We are spending about `60 lakh for this. Two faulty autoclave machines in the hospital have already been scrapped," he added.