Stanton CT scanner back online, sterilizing units still down

Stanton Territorial Hospital said on Wednesday its CT scanner had been restored to service, a week after the hospital first announced it was out of action.

However, sterilizing units used to keep surgical equipment clean are still out of service.

The NWT’s health authority said it had taken measures to compensate for the units’ loss, and “patients with scheduled surgeries should assume they are going forward unless they are directly contacted with information saying otherwise.”

So far, 13 surgeries have been cancelled between April 16 and 23 as a result of the issue. The sterilizing units broke down on April 15.

Backup sterilization units with a smaller capacity are being used, and the hospital said it had laid on extra staffing to get instruments sterilized.

“These adjustments and coordination with the surgery unit are allowing for regularly scheduled surgeries to go forward,” the health authority said in a statement.

The CT scanner returned to service on Saturday, having been out of action since April 14. As of last Wednesday, the health authority said 45 scans had been cancelled. Now, regularly booked scans will go forward as scheduled.

“For those individuals whose scans were cancelled in the period from April 14-19, they will be rebooked at the soonest possible time,” said the health authority.

Four people were sent south for scans when the hospital could not accommodate them. No surgeries were diverted south, the health authority said by email.

In one month’s time, most operations will transfer from the old Stanton facility to a new hospital built next-door.