KGMU to soon have OT for coronavirus patients

LUCKNOW: Besides having isolation wards and quarantine facilities, the King George’s Medical University (KGMU) will soon have an operation theatre (OT) for coronavirus patients.

“The operation theatre, first of its kind, will be exclusively for Covid-19 patients. In case they require surgery during admission, they will be operated in this OT,” said Dr Sudhir Singh, spokesperson of KGMU. He said at present all seven coronavirus patients at KGMU were stable.

The OT is located in the old OPD building and is far from the main operating theatre. Process has been started to make arrangements for its use including placing of some equipment and also training staff members (lab technicians/nurses/OT technicians) who will work in it on rotation basis.

“This operating theatre is being prepared to make sure if any of the coronavirus positive patient needs surgery it may be done without any hassle. The surgery may be done by doctors from any department but the OT to be used will be this one,” said Prof Surya Kant, HoD, respiratory medicine, KGMU and member of the task force on COVID-19.

He said apart from the testing facility for suspected cases, the isolation/quarantine facility is working round-the-clock and also a fever clinic is running where people are first screened for high temperature and respiratory distress.

As coronavirus patients are now being admitted to their native districts in isolation facilities made at CHCs or district hospitals, the model of OT made at KGMU may be replicated at divisional level hospitals across the state so that in case of need, the patients need not be shifted to KGMU from any other district, but operated upon in the division itself, said Surya Kant.