"Accident" in Theatre - KATH surgeons in trauma

THE 'SLAUGHTER' of a 15-year- old patient on the operation table at the Main Theatre of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) on Wednesday, February 19, this year, has become the source of worry to the surgeons, as they cannot find the cause of the accident.

Osman Mohammed, a pupil of the Arabic School of Ayigya Zongo in Kumasi, with theatre No.6, died "on the table" when the anaesthesia machine being used at the time failed.

The doctors are alarmed by what looks like an "accident" because such cases are rare.

The head of the anaesthesia department of the hospital, Dr. Boakye, confided in the Chronicle, while on a fact-finding mission during which this reporter had a free medical check-up, that with improvement in anaesthesia, the ratio of the risk of a patient dying on the table is one per 20,000.

Dr. Boakye's team, including four specialists are disturbed the more because corporate checks are done on a daily basis because personnel are trained regularly.

The fact that the deceased "looked so well" has added to the trauma, the Chronicle observed during a visit on February 28, this year.

Dr. Boakye said the team has done an evaluation of the "accident" but the cause is idiopathic (unknown).

He would not attribute the death to the machine as doctors undertake regular checks, besides maintenance by engineers.

The very accident machine was in use when the Chronicle visited the main theatre. It was said to have been used to operate two other patients successfully after the "accident."

Dr. Boakye said the only useful alternative to finding the cause is a post-mortem, but unfortunately, Osman was a Moslem and his religion and belief had to be respected.

Inside sources, however, told the Chronicle that the machine in question was labeled faulty for some days but the good one was mistakenly sent for servicing, instead of the bad one.

Negligence coming face to face with accident as a result.

The machine failed while in use, as a result, leading to Osman's untimely death.

According to the deceased's father Alhaji Osman, a cola dealer at Asawasi, who was traced to his Ayigya Zongo residence No. Blk 1, Plot 5 in Kumasi upon a tip-off, the deceased complained of abdominal pains and was rushed to KATH for treatment.

He said even though he reported there at 5.30 am, the boy was diagnosed at about 3pm, after which an X-ray of him was taken and later, sent to the theatre.

Three other patients were sent in and out of the theatre after Osman without news of his condition until around 7pm when he was announced dead.

Alhaji Osman described his son's death as pathetic and said he would appreciate an enquiry into the accident.

Prof. Donkor, head of the Surgery Department of KATH, had not been briefed at the time Chronicle reached him on phone on February 26.