- TORONTO (CP) -- Six Ontario
hospitals now admit to using improperly sterilized equipment on patients
as government-ordered audits are carried out at health facilities across
the province, Health Minister George Smitherman said Wednesday.
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- "I would remind Ontarians this is our effort to
get to the bottom of a situation that gives us some concern," Smitherman
said at the legislature after a meeting of the Liberal cabinet.
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- "These difficulties are not something that we are
happy about."
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- Cambridge Memorial, Hotel Dieu in St. Catharines, St.
Mary's in Kitchener and Winchester District Memorial in eastern Ontario
have been added to a list of hospitals that say they've had hygiene breaches.
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- Smitherman's announcement came after similar breaches
took place in Sunnybrook hospital in Toronto and Oshawa's Lakeridge health-care
facility. Hundreds of patients have been notified about improperly sterilized
medical equipment used at those facilities.
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- The Sunnybrook and Lakeridge revelations triggered Smitherman's
order last week that every Ontario hospital examine its infection-control
procedures and make the results public.
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- "I don't think frightening is an appropriate word,"
said Smitherman, calling the risks to patients "very, very low,"
even though those affected will have to be tested for H-I-V and hepatitis.
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- He noted the province is "acting with an appropriate
amount of concern. We're seeking to be transparent about it, and we're
putting the information out there."
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- Hospitals have until Jan. 9 to hand their infection-control
findings to the province.
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- Smitherman was also preparing Wednesday to release new
protocols forcing Ontario hospitals to move quickly to inform the public
about similar hygiene concerns.
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- On Tuesday, Sunnybrook, one of the city's best-known
hospitals, began taking blood samples from dozens of the 861 men who received
ultrasound prostate biopsies at its urology clinic with improperly sterilized
equipment between December 1999 and last August.
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- Last month, Lakeridge reported that nearly 120 patients
received colon and throat tests with improperly sterilized equipment and
would have to be tested.
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- Smitherman instructed the media to contact the individual
hospitals to find out exactly what types of medical equipment was involved
in each case, but added the problems centre around sterilization procedures.
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- Health Ministry officials don't know if the problems
are the result of human error or from staff not properly following manufacturer's
guidelines, or a combination of the two, but hope the audits being carried
out will help determine the cause.
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- Premier Dalton McGuinty lashed out Tuesday after hearing
about the Sunnybrook equipment problem, saying the hospital has some important
questions to answer about its procedures and "why they took so long
to inform the public."
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- "We've got a responsibility to make sure that our
hospitals are taking the necessary steps to protect public safety,"
McGuinty said.
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- Smitherman said he wanted hospitals to contact affected
patients before going public with their problems to avoid any panic in
the communities.
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- McGuinty agreed Wednesday people should not let fear
prevent them from seeking medical attention or undergoing scheduled tests
or examinations.
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- "We will do what it takes to ensure that when you
go into a hospital and have a procedure conducted, you will not be placed
at risk," he said. "We can do better and we will."
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- © Copyright 2003 The Canadian Press
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- http://www.canada.com/vancouver/story.asp?id=BFAE4909-
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