Odisha health minister orders probe into violation of protocol during dental surgery of HIV patient; no one at risk, says hospital

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Health Minister NK Das has said that a probe has been ordered into the alleged violation of protocol in the surgery of an HIV positive infected patient by the dental wing of VIMSAR in Burla. The Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR), Burla has set up a committee to be headed by the HoD of the Tuberculosis and Chest department, to probe into the alleged violation of protocol in the surgery of an HIV positive infected patient by the dental wing of the hospital. “Action will be taken against the person if there is any violation in the protocol for the HIV patients,” the minister said on Wednesday. [caption id=“attachment_7310341” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Image by Darwin Laganzon from Pixabay[/caption] Superintendent of VIMSAR, Lalmohan Nayak on Wednesday said life of no other patient was put to any risk in the process, though the committee will find out if there were any lapses by the operating surgeon. “The Head of the Department (HOD) of Tuberculosis and Chest, Prabhati Dutta will head the probe team and would submit the report to the government,” said Nayak. Nayak also said that the Department of Dentistry which was closed for fumigation after the alleged violation of protocol in surgery of an HIV positive patient was reopened on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the assistant professor of Department Dentistry, VIMSAR, PK Swain, who performed the surgery on the HIV positive patient on 28 October, said that he did the surgery on “humanitarian ground” and did not put “any life at risk” in the process. Swain said the patient was admitted in the surgery ward of the hospital on 13 October and he had finalised 28 October for his Inter Maxillary Fixation (IMF). The patient came for the surgery to the Department of Dentistry on 28 October. “I checked all his report but did not find the HIV screening report. Subsequently, I asked him for HIV screening. He also underwent screening and brought the report, from which I could know that he was HIV positive. I immediately informed the authority about the patient. They told me to send the patient after prescribing some medicines,” Swain said. “But my conscience prevented me from sending back the patient without surgery. Had I sent back the patient without surgery, the problem of the patient would have aggravated. Hence, I performed the surgery on him”, he said. Swain claimed that he followed all the precaution while performing the surgery on the HIV positive patient. Swain denied the allegation that he used the same instruments, which were used for the surgery of the HIV positive patient, for surgical procedures of other patients. He said dental extraction of two other patients was conducted after the operation on the HIV positive patient was performed. “These two operations were conducted at separate chairs and separate cabins. There is no risk for the patients, who were operated after the HIV positive patient,” he said.