The Executive Agency “Medical Supervision“ is conducting a re-check on a report about reusable single-use surgical devices in the surgical gynecology department at “Pirogov“. The case concerns surgical coagulators type “Caiman“ and trocars, which are alleged to have been used on more than one patient.
The report was filed by a doctor who worked in the department and subsequently left the hospital. According to data cited by media publications, the devices were sterilized and reused. The head of the department, Dr. Lyudmil Dzhunkov, explained the practice with social reasons and indicated that some instruments were used two or three times, when the device reported that they were technically in good condition.
The allegations have not yet been replaced by final findings from the control bodies. It has not been publicly established how many patients were operated on with reused devices, for what period this happened, and whether there were proven infections or other complications.
What do the institutions check
In a parliamentary question, MP Katya Paneva asked the Ministry of Health to indicate when the institutions were notified, what checks were carried out, and why a re-inspection was necessary. She also insists on clarifying the number of potentially affected patients, as well as whether there are grounds for them to be notified and medically monitored.
“Patients have the right to a full factual picture and specific actions“, Katya Paneva points out.A financial issue has also been raised. The published materials indicate invoices for amounts of around 1,345 leva and it is checked whether patients paid for new consumables that were later reused. It is important to establish how the devices were described and whether data was available to track the specific consumable.
What is the risk for patients
Medical law lawyer Maria Sharkova told the Bulgarian National Radio that the reuse of single-use medical devices can create a risk of infections related to medical care. According to her, a device that is not intended for repeated use may be damaged during sterilization and not work as intended.
The current medical standard for the prevention and control of hospital-acquired infections distinguishes between reusable and single-use devices. It provides procedures for processing and sterilization of the former and disposal of the latter.
The next key steps are the completion of the re-inspection, the establishment of the specific period and number of affected patients, as well as the response of the Ministry of Health to the parliamentary question. Only then can it be assessed whether there are violations, financial consequences and the need for notification or medical monitoring of patients.
Sources: bnrnews.bg, actualno.com, stolica.bg