Dangerous neglect: PIMS faces shortage of sterilisation equipment

Emergency department operating with just one autoclave


Sehrish Wasif November 20, 2014

ISLAMABAD: A shortage of sterlisation equipment at the capital’s largest public hospital has left patients vulnerable to hospital-acquired infections and communicable diseases. 

“Most patients who come to Pims are the poor and unaware of sterilisation procedures. They do not ensure that the surgical instruments being used are sterlised,” said a Pims doctor who also handles some administrative issues, while speaking on the on the condition of anonymity. The hospital’s emergency department, which receives hundreds of patients every day, has only one autoclave, a sterilisation machine.



“The emergency ward is a critical area. It needs large amounts of sterlised surgical equipment round the clock. One autoclave is not sufficient for the patient load at the emergency department,” the doctor said.

He said the hospital sterilises all surgical equipment required for medical procedures, but during emergencies such as terrorist attacks or natural disasters, it becomes very difficult for the hospital to quickly sterilise large amounts of equipment.

He said that it was important for a doctor to have two kits of sterlised tools while performing surgery, so that if any of the equipment falls on the ground, he has backups available. “But due to the shortage of autoclaves at the hospital, surgeons are usually only provided one kit to manage with,” he added.



Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto (SZAB) Medical University Vice-Chancellor Professor Javed Akram said the hospital has been facing a shortage of autoclaves for the last few years. The hospital has, however, recently established a central sterile services department (CSSD) with four autoclaves. Akram said the CSSD will be functional soon.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2014.

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