Mulago heart unit shut down
Dec 07, 2009
HUNDEREDS of heart patients are stranded at Mulago hospital, following the breakdown of the air conditioning system for the echocardiography machine.
By Conan Businge
HUNDEREDS of heart patients are stranded at Mulago hospital, following the breakdown of the air conditioning system for the echocardiography machine.
The air conditioning system broke down on Friday last week.
“The echocardiography equipment cannot work in an environment which is not air-conditioned,†said Dr. John Omagino, the Director of the Uganda Heart Institute.
The machine reveals many abnormalities relating to the heart.
The echo technology can reveal big heart size, thickened walls of the heart muscles, infection or rheumatic fever, thickened or torn valves, prosthetic or artificial valve malfunction, congenital abnormalities and tumors or thrombus.
Omagino explained that the echo facility also reveals the pumping function of the heart, which is a vital factor in evaluating and treating a heart attack.
The machine is also used in diagnosing fluids in the pericardium, a thin layer that surrounds the heart.
The air conditioning system is maintened by THERMOCOOL. The hospital contacted THERMOCOOL to repair the machine three days ago, Omagino said.
“They (THERMOCOOL) have greatly frustrated our efforts. We did our best to ask them to work on the air conditioning over the weekend, but they did not respond,†he explained.
“This has subjected our patients to suffering,†Omagino, who is also a consultant surgeon, added.
A team from the THERMOCOOL company went to Mulago yesterday afternoon to work on the system.
It was not established by press time whether the air system had been restored. Attempts to reach the company bosses for a comment were futile.
The heart institute attends to about 40 patients every day. Most of the patients travel from rural areas to the national referral hospital.
The New Vision found about 20 patients queuing up to be attended to after midday. Most of them had waited since morning.
HUNDEREDS of heart patients are stranded at Mulago hospital, following the breakdown of the air conditioning system for the echocardiography machine.
The air conditioning system broke down on Friday last week.
“The echocardiography equipment cannot work in an environment which is not air-conditioned,†said Dr. John Omagino, the Director of the Uganda Heart Institute.
The machine reveals many abnormalities relating to the heart.
The echo technology can reveal big heart size, thickened walls of the heart muscles, infection or rheumatic fever, thickened or torn valves, prosthetic or artificial valve malfunction, congenital abnormalities and tumors or thrombus.
Omagino explained that the echo facility also reveals the pumping function of the heart, which is a vital factor in evaluating and treating a heart attack.
The machine is also used in diagnosing fluids in the pericardium, a thin layer that surrounds the heart.
The air conditioning system is maintened by THERMOCOOL. The hospital contacted THERMOCOOL to repair the machine three days ago, Omagino said.
“They (THERMOCOOL) have greatly frustrated our efforts. We did our best to ask them to work on the air conditioning over the weekend, but they did not respond,†he explained.
“This has subjected our patients to suffering,†Omagino, who is also a consultant surgeon, added.
A team from the THERMOCOOL company went to Mulago yesterday afternoon to work on the system.
It was not established by press time whether the air system had been restored. Attempts to reach the company bosses for a comment were futile.
The heart institute attends to about 40 patients every day. Most of the patients travel from rural areas to the national referral hospital.
The New Vision found about 20 patients queuing up to be attended to after midday. Most of them had waited since morning.