The room where surgical equipment is cleaned at Victoria General Hospital remains closed after a sewage leak on Oct.15.
Hospital staff noticed sewage from an upstairs bathroom leaking into their reprocessing room near 10:30 a.m. on Monday.
“Today we did some swabbing for sampling because we have to confirm that everything is as it should be before we resume cleaning,” Meribeth Burton, a spokesperson for Island Health, said on Oct. 16, adding the ceiling tiles were also repaired.
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After surgery, the tools used have to be sterilized before they can be used again. Since Oct. 15, the Royal Jubilee Hospital has been sharing their sterilized supplies with VGH so no surgeries at VGH have had to be postponed or cancelled.
The plumbing problem was repaired in the bathroom by 2 p.m. on Oct. 15. Burton said the cause of the leak was an “ageing issue” with the 36-year-old building, but the hospital is not concerned with a similar leak happening again.
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