The Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) which was closed down due to a deadly bacteria threat on December 11 was reopened on Monday for operations, hospital sources said. The MRSA bacteria which caused one death and more than two hundred patients awaiting surgeries returning home has now being flushed out completely from the unit, they said.

The unit remained closed for a week while the authorities tried to find out the mode in which the bacteria entered the unit which is a heavily guarded area. The sources said that there is a possibility that the bacteria came from an outside patient because the hospital takes strict action to check resident patients before the operations for such bacteria.

The bacteria was reportedly found on walls of the unit as well. Ten nurses in the ward were also found positive. The sources disclosed that an American delegation of doctors who visit the hospital annually to perform surgeries were faced with disappointment because the SICU had to be closed suddenly. (IW)