ICU closed at Castle Hospital

24 April 2013 06:23 am

The Intensive Care Unit at the Castle Street Hospital for Women, Colombo is currently closed following a patient’s death due to infection.

“The patient who died at the ICU had been found infected. It is essential to investigate the premises as this is not a usual situation,” Director General of the Hospital Dr. W.D.K Wickremesinghe said.

He said that even though the hospital’s ICU was closed until the investigations are finalised, the Hospital was functioning as usual.

He said the ICU would be closed until the investigations were over. The hospital has another ICU, however.

“We will refrain from using the ICU until the investigations are finalised, but it won’t affect the day to day functions at the hospital. We have still got another ICU section. If it won’t be sufficient we will send the patients to the nearest Hospital’s ICU,” he said.

He said a committee of specialists and a representative from the Communicable Diseases Unit had been appointed to look into the issue under the directions of the Health Service Director General Dr. Palitha Mahipala.

Meanwhile, a special procedure had been implemented for admissions at the hospital under the committee’s recommendations.

“There are a few patients who were found to be infected in the wards as well. If there is an infected mother in labour, we will provide especial attention,” he said.

He also said it was better to consult a doctor if a pregnant mother has any respiratory infections with cold and fever.

“Presently there is an infection spreading in the country. As pregnant mothers’ immune is generally low, there is a risk of getting infected easily,” he said. (Sanath Desmond and Lahiru Pothmulla)