Bad weather affects routine ops in JN hospital
Washing machine to substitute drying comber machine
Source: Hueiyen News Service / N Sanajaoba Meetei

Imphal, October 20 2011: Routine operations in JN Hospital could not be conducted today, the reason? As the sun god refused to come out, washed clothes which were to be worn by the doctors, patients and other staffs during an operation, could not be dried.

No dry cloths no operations, as simple as that.

The incident came to light when the family members of a patient whose operation was cancelled without giving proper reasons spoke to Hueiyen Lanpao.

Hueiyen Lanpao to its dismay found that the reason for cancelling the operation was because the clothes which were to be worn by the doctors and patients during the operation were still wet due to the cloudy weather which prevailed today.

When this reporter enquired about the incident, Okram Kirankumar, Supervisor of the Laundry, JN Hospital said that the clothes that are to be used in an operation are washed and sterilized and then passed on to the operation theatre after drying them up.

The clothes are being dried in a drying comber machine.

But unfortunately, this machine has been non-functional for the last three years as the transformer for this machine is out of order.

He further went on to say that there are no trained persons for the maintenance of the machine and spare parts are also not available in the state.

Complaints to concern authority have not brought any positive response till today.

And when the the whether is cloudy and on rainy days the problem of cloths not drying comes up, leading to the cancellation of operations.

But for emergency operations new cloths are being used.

The situation will get worse during the winter season as the clothes which usually dry in a day will take two days at least.

Due to the non completion of the newly constructed room of the Department of Mechanised Laundry, the Rs 90 lakh machine is still being kept unused for the last three years, he added.

Speaking to this reporter, Dr L Khomdon, Medical Superintendent, JN Hospital said that such type of case has never occurred in his term and is really a matter of shame.

He asked for Okram Kirankumar, Supervisor of the Laundry, JN Hospital and discussed the matter openly.

A bit of verbal argument erupted among the MS and the staffs of the Department of Laundry.

Later on the MS gave instructions for buying a big washing machine which has got a drying facility and place it in the Laundry.

He further assured that there will be routine operation from tomorrow itself.

Ten operations which was scheduled for today have been cancelled due to the problem.

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