Mulago suspends open heart surgery

Apr 28, 2011

MULAGO Heart Institute has suspended open heart surgery for one week. The move comes after unidentified thieves stole oxygen pipes from the hospital on Good Friday, leading to the death of some patients, Dr. Tom Mwambu, a cardiothoracic surgeon, has disclosed.

By Violet Nabatanzi

MULAGO Heart Institute has suspended open heart surgery for one week. The move comes after unidentified thieves stole oxygen pipes from the hospital on Good Friday, leading to the death of some patients, Dr. Tom Mwambu, a cardiothoracic surgeon, has disclosed.

“Over Easter time, oxygen pipes which carry oxygen from the main oxygen cylinder were stolen by thugs and currently we are using mobile cylinders to supply oxygen to the patients,” he said.

He said it was risky for the institute to proceed with open heart surgery without oxygen cylinders.

‘We hope Mulago will rectify the problem within a week,” Mwambu said.

The Mulago public relations officer, Dan Kimocho, said two pipes were stolen, one for oxygen and another for vacuum.

He said they all belonged to the heart institute, adding that the Police was still carrying out investigations.

Meanwhile, the institute has received a donation of a blood gas machine worth sh300m from Rotary Club International.

The machine will improve the level of critical care at the institute.

‘One of the challenges we have been facing has been availability of blood gas services and now with this new machine and the support that Rotary Club International is offering for the next two years, we hope we shall be able to carry out more surgeries,” Mwambu said.

He said the institute has limited theatre space, which means the unit can only operate upon one to two heart patients per week.


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