Reported use of HIV-contaminated surgical equipments during operation has shocked 12 patients and their family members at the Veer Surendra Sai Institute of Medical Sciences and Research (VIMSAR) at Burla in Sambalpur district.
According to reports, intermaxillary fixation on an HIV-affected patient, a road accident victim, was carried out at the Dental Department of the VIMSAR on October 28 by Dr Prashanta Kumar Swain. Later, dental surgery was done on 12 patients reportedly with the equipment, which were used for the HIV-affected person, without sterilisation.
As the matter came to fore, the concerned HOD wrote to the higher authorities of the hospital for a probe into the incident.
But the doctor rubbished the allegations saying that HIV can only survive in blood and semen, not outside. “The other patients were treated at the Out Patient Department (OPD), not at the Dental Department. Moreover, nurses had duly sterilised the equipment before surgery on other patients,” said Dr Swain.
“A conspiracy has been hatched by other staffers of the hospital to malign my reputation,” alleged the doctor.
