Halifax surgeries cancelled after problems with sterilization equipment

A Nova Scotia Health Authority spokesperson says about 80 non-urgent surgeries in Halifax have been cancelled for Monday and more expected for the coming week because of a problem with sterilization equipment.

Karen Mumford says personnel noticed a fine black powdery debris on some of the equipment last Saturday and determined the sterilization unit at the Halifax Infirmary was having mechanical issues.

"We noticed some fine black debris on a couple of our sterile towels, so we immediately stopped using our sterilizers at the Halifax Infirmary until we figure out what the issue is," she said.

The debris has been tested to try and find out its exact composition, but Mumford says some results won't be back until Tuesday.

"The debris that has been tested, in our own labs at the hospital for biological components, the first one of those came back negative and we're anticipating the second one will as well," she said.

"But then we had to send it out beyond our hospitals for other testing and that's what's not going to be due back until Tuesday."

Mumford says some equipment is being sent to hospitals in Kentville and Truro and also to Dalhousie University to be sterilized.

A limited amount of equipment is being sterilized at the Victoria General site so that urgent surgeries can continue.

She says any procedures that are cancelled will be rescheduled.