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Whitehorse General Hospital cancels surgeries due to sterilization issue

Yukon Hospitals announced cancellations to surgeries scheduled for Monday and Tuesday after surgical instruments failed inspection checks
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The sign on the Whitehorse General Hospital is seen on June 18, 2024.

Whitehorse General Hospital has cancelled surgeries scheduled for Feb. 3 and 4 after announcing it was unable to clean and reprocess essential surgical instruments.

Yukon Hospitals made the announcement on Feb. 3, stating that patients affected by the disruption would be contacted by hospital staff. The decision to cancel planned surgeries was made to conserve resources for responding to emergencies that may arise, the announcement said.

According to Yukon Hospitals executive director James Low, Whitehorse General Hospital staff noticed residue and a film-like substance left on surgical instruments after they went through a steam sterilization machine. In the interest of patient safety, the hospital decided to cancel 50 to 60 scheduled surgeries on Feb. 3 and 4.

Low added that there were no concerns for any patients who had surgical procedures prior to the discovery of the potential malfunction of sanitation equipment, as surgical instruments cannot be used until they meet Yukon Hospital standards.

The exact cause of the issue has yet to be determined, whether it was a malfunction or another cause resulting in residue being left behind on surgical equipment. As a result, an exact timeline for resolution has yet to be determined, Low said.

The announcement states that staff are focused and working to resolve the issue in a timely manner. An update to the announcement reads that scheduled surgeries may be further adjusted throughout the week while the issue is being addressed.

Contact Jake Howarth at jake.howarth@yukon-news.com

Editor's note: Information about the number of surgeries affected by the cancellations was received after publication. The article has been updated to show that 50 to 60 planned surgeries on Feb. 3 and 4 have been cancelled.