Surgeries on hold at HUKM

Star: KUALA LUMPUR: Hundreds of operations have been put on hold at the busy Hospital Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (HUKM) after 10 of its operating theatres were contaminated following a leak in its sterilisation network.
The leak in the autoclave piping system that sterilises the utensils in the operating theatres has resulted in bacterial contamination of the water in the network.
“The hospital decided to close the OTs (operating theatres) for fear of the bacterial contamination spreading to other areas,” Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's Centre for Public and International Relations director Prof Dr Yang Farina Abdul Aziz told The Star.
“The 10 gynaecological and obstetrics operating theatres and other general OTs have been closed temporarily because of the leakage. We are taking all precautions and sterilising the area where the leakage had occurred.”
She said only emergency surgeries were being carried out in the other 10 operating theatres not affected by the contamination.
“We are doing it with utmost care and checks to ensure that the safety of the patients are not compromised,” Dr Yang Farina added.
She said all emergency obstetrics and gynaecological operating cases were also being carried out in the general operating theatres.
“If the hospital cannot cope with emergency cases and other crucial operations, the patients will be referred to other hospitals in the area,” Dr Yang Farina added.
She said that although requests for operations were overwhelming, the safety of the patients would not be compromised.
“We will not re-open the OTs until we are sure everything is clear,” she said.
HUKM director Prof Datuk Dr Mohamad Abdul Razak said the hospital was attending to only very urgent cases.
“Only about 60% of the OTs can be used now. The remaining 40% are being cleaned up.
“Hopefully, all the OTs can be used by the end of the week. We have to do a bacterial count to ensure they are clean enough to be used again.
“I urge the patients to be patient. Those who are not happy can come and see me personally,” he said in an interview.
HUKM is the teaching hospital for Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Medical Faculty and patients are referred to the hospital from all over the country.
The hospital, located in Bandar Tun Razak, began operations in July 1997.

In 2004, Sultan Ismail Hospital in Johor Baru had to be temporarily closed after fungus was found on the walls and in some of the clinical equipment.
The fungus was caused by a faulty air-conditioning system.
The 740-bed hospital, costing RM557.8mil, was closed just two months after it started operations.