The theatre department is an active surgical department of NNRH Calabar, it is responsible for the conduct of surgical operations within the hospital, it provides 24 hours services. The theatre is kept ready in all aspect of surgery as an emergency or an elective basis. Elective surgeries are accommodated on specific days while emergency surgeries are carried out as soon as the need be.

Outside the operating room is also dedicated scrubbing area that is used by surgeons, anesthetists, ODPS (operating department practitioners) and nurses prior to surgery. An operating room have a map to enable the terminal cleaner realign the operating table and equipment to the desired layout during cleaning.

THE FUNCTIONAL STATE OF THE THEATRE DEPARTMENT

The theatre has been active and there are about 40 to 70 surgeries that are conducted in the theatre both on elective and emergency basis per month. The most active department in NNRH Calabar main theatre is the O & G department.

The theatre department render its services to the General Surgery, Obstetric, Gynecology, Orthopedic, Pediatric, Eye and ENT departments. The departments are allocated different days for elective surgeries in order to ensure the optimum operational utilization of the theatre.

a. Orthopedic Surgery - Monday

b. Gynecology Surgery - Tuesday

c. Ophthalmology/ENT Surgery - Wednesday

d. General Surgery - Thursday

e. Obstetric Surgery - Friday

The Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital Theatre is kept up and running by dedicated staff, which comprises of Consultants Doctors, Anesthetics, Theatre Nurses, Medical Assistant and Cleaners.

The Anesthesia department which is co-located with the theatre is also actively mobilized on 24 hours basis. We provide General Anesthesia, Local Anesthesia, Epidural Anesthesia and Total Intravenous Anesthesia for better health care services.

The theatre department renders surgical services to three category of patients. This include the NHIS patient, Non entitled patient (NEP) and Retainership patients. The NHIS patient are those covered by the National Health Insurance Scheme and are usually presented by the HMO who pays the surgery bills according to the provision of NHIS act. All military personnel are covered by the programmed are represented by the DHML. The retainership are patients presented by the DHML. The retainership patient presented by different companies who may pay the bills according to agreed term with the hospital. They are mostly workers of the company and their dependents. The NEP patient are not covered by any programme and settle their bills by themselves.

In essence, our operating theatre maintain a strict sterile environment in order to promote health and wellbeing of our patients and in turn prevent cross infectiuons.