The Nova Scotia Health Authority says a plan is in place to deal with hundreds of surgeries that were postponed due to a sterilization issue.
Between April 20th and May 5th, 563 surgeries were cancelled. Approximately 175 of those have already been rescheduled or completed.
To make up the rest of those surgeries, the Nova Scotia Health Authority will add additional OR time at the QEII over the summer, as staffing and resources permit, use OR time for day surgeries at other NSHA facilities, and where possible, use additional OR time at external partner facilities.
It was determined the sterilization machines at the root of the problem had corrosion in them. Other hospitals have been sterilizing equipment for the QEII and will continue until new equipment arrives.
The senior director of the QEII, Karen Mumford, says that order should be placed by the end of the week.
“We're still projecting eight to ten weeks for the replacement of the sterilizers here at the Halifax Infirmary site,” says Mumford.
Nova Scotia’s health minister, Leo Glavine, says the newly formed health authority stepped in to provide direction about 11 days after the situation arose and he's pleased with how it responded.
“They'll do some review of what has taken place and how the lesson can be applied, perhaps, to other sites across the province that may run into those challenges,” says Glavine.
Mumford also says postponed and urgent patients will be given priority.
With files from CTV Atlantic's Jacqueline Foster
