| (1) | A small animal hospital shall, in addition to the requirements of rule 23 consist of— |
| (a) | one or more rooms for the treatment and preoperative preparation of patients, which shall be convenient to the operating room; |
| (b) | a separate room which is equipped as an operating room and has: |
| (i) | an adequate light source; |
| (ii) | a surgical table with an impervious operating surface that can be easily cleansed and disinfected; |
| (iii) | a gas anaesthetic apparatus; |
| (iv) | an adequate supply of oxygen; |
| (v) | a radiographic viewer; and |
| (vi) | adequate ventilation. |
| (2) | The operating room must be of adequate size and there must be an adequate supply of equipment and instruments at all times. |
| (3) | There shall be no thoroughfare through an operating room and it shall not be used as a storage room. |
| (4) | Only final preparation of the patient shall be done in the operating room. |
| (5) | Aseptic conditions shall be maintained in the operating room, which include the use of sterilised gowns, gloves, masks, caps and drapes, and the sterilisation and re-sterilisation of all surgical instruments at least every three weeks. In case of routine surgery, that is not complicated abdominal, orthopaedic or cardio-vascular surgery, sterilised gowns may be dispensed with. |
[Subrule (5) substituted by section 15 of Notice 868 of 2009]
| (6) | Suitable scrubbing facilities shall be available. |
| (7) | A ward in which patients can be kept shall— |
| (a) | have a separate cage of adequate size for each patient; and |
| (b) | be adequately ventilated and, if necessary, heated or cooled. |
| (8) | An animal shall not be hospitalised overnight at a hospital except if full-time supervision is available at the hospital concerned. |
| (9) | An area in which patients can be exercised indooorrs outdoors shall be designed and constructed in a manner that will prevent escape and promote the maintenance of hygiene. |
