The reappearance of residue and spotting on surgical tools has once again affected the Whitehorse General Hospital’s ability to clean and sterilize instruments on-site. Tools can’t be used until they meet cleanliness standards.
The announcement was made in a Facebook post by the Yukon Hospital Corporation on Feb. 12 at 5 p.m.
The issue was believed to have been resolved after more than a week of cancelled surgeries and procedures due to the problem.
“While similar issues are common for hospital reprocessing departments, for us to be in a place where this issue is not fully resolved and we don’t have definitive answers, is deeply frustrating for our teams,” reads the Facebook post.
“We acknowledge the uncertainty this creates for everyone.”
While resources are being conserved to respond to emergencies, the only planned surgeries and procedures that are being cancelled on Feb. 13 and 14 are ear, nose and throat procedures.
The hospital is assessing the situation ahead of next week’s scheduled surgeries and procedures.
A deal with the Vancouver General Hospital allows for a supply of sterilized gear.
Troubleshooting and testing continues with support from experts and equipment technicians, per the post.
During an interview on another topic on Feb. 12, ahead of the hospital's announcement, Health Minister Tracy-Anne McPhee did not have information handy on backlogs due to the cleaning and sterilizing issue at the hospital. She said to contact the hospital’s chief executive officer and former deputy health minister Tiffany Boyd to obtain the data through the hospital.
The hospital is working on providing the News with an interview with the CEO on this matter, as of Feb. 13. The hospital has mentioned that 25 to 30 procedures a day were being cancelled after the issue was first noticed.
An email update from a hospital spokesperson notes 120 procedures were planned and 24 (colonscopies and gastroscopies) were completed between Feb. 3-7.
A surgeon who is leaving the territory, citing a lack of funding for surgical services at the hospital, said the wait list peaked at close to 300 patients while he worked there.
“The hospital will share more information with Yukoners related to cause or contributing factors, preventative measures and mitigations that have been identified once our analysis is complete,” reads the Facebook post.
More information will be shared as it becomes available, the post notes.
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
