The traumatologists of the Chisinau children’s hospital “V. Ignatenko” have performed surgeries using industrial tools for over 20 years. Every traumatology section has drilling devices, which are also included in the financial records of the institution, a group of doctors said in a news conference at IPN, following a film showing a child operated with a drill that was broadcast over the Internet.
Surgeon Nicolae Curca said it is a lie that the institution is outfitted with bone processing equipment. The doctors repeatedly informed the competent bodies that they work with instruments used in construction. Nicolae Curca has worked with such tools for over 20 years. Several years ago, there were bought several medical drills, but they cannot be used as they do not meet the necessary parameters and can be sterilized only with formalin.
The doctor stated that on July 23, after the scandal that arouse following the broadcasting of the film, two special boxes for sterilizing medical equipment with formalin vapors were brought to theorthopedics and traumatology section. According to Nicolae Curca, the sterilization with formalin is a crime against the children as this is a very noxious substance. For sterilization, the equipment must be kept in formalin for about seven hours and nobody can guarantee that it is sterile. After sterilized, the drills pose a threat of electrocution as they are connected to electric power. The industrial drills work on batteries.
“We need apparatus for processing bones that can be sterilized as well as single-use fixing devices. As we do not have such devices, we use them for numerous times. This is against the ethical norms and all the medical norms,” said Nicolae Curca.
In a film broadcast over the Internet on July 22, doctors of the Chisinau children’s hospital “Valentine Ignatenko” use an industrial drill during surgery. As a result, Iurie Leanca expressed his indignation at the conditions in which the children are operated and requested Minister of Health Andrei Usatyi to go to the institution to examine the situation. The minister said that all the subdivisions of the traumatology section and the institution are outfitted with the necessary equipment that does not pose a threat to the diagnosis or treatment of patients. Doctors said the opposite and voiced hope that the authorities will equip the hospital appropriately. Otherwise, they will perform only urgent operations, in cases of open fractures.
