Doctors at the Accident Center of the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital are unable to operate on patients with emergency cases due to the lack of key logistics.

According to an orthopedic surgeon at the Hospital, Dr. Fred Salawu, the Hospital’s capacity to operate on patients has reduced due to the non-functioning of the sterilization machine at the Central Sterilization Services Department of the hospital.

The machine helps them to hygienically clean their equipment before using them on another patient.

“The sterilization machine has broken down. We have patients who come in as emergencies and we can’t operate on them”, he said.

“It is so frustrating to see patients whom you will want to treat yet you cannot treat because there are no instruments”, he added.

 

Central Sterilization Services Department

He also complained about the absence of surgery gowns for doctors to wear before carrying out their operation.

On March 31, Joy News reported some doctors in the hospital are using the chemical, Parasafe to disinfect their equipment before surgery because the autoclave sterilization machine which does that was broken down.

A doctor who pleaded anonymity disclosed that “It is highly unprofessional but we dip the equipment in parasol with the hope that all the bacteria on the equipment will die because if we don’t operate on that patient, [he or she] might lose his or her life”.

But speaking to Joy News’ Kwetey Nartey, Dr. Salawu said the hospital now sends the equipment to another hospital for them to be sterilized. However, he said this alternative by the hospital is never enough.

Justifying the claim, Dr. Salawu said when the equipment are sent for sterilization, they are not returned early which also affect their work.

He expressed frustration in the delay adding: “Now we can’t cope with it anymore”.