WATCH: In the first of a three-part series on the hidden parts of the health care system, Elaine Yong looks at how 165,000 instruments get sterilized every week at Vancouver General Hospital.
At over 18,000 square feet, it’s as big as a hockey rink.
The medical device reprocessing department at Vancouver General Hospital is responsible for cleaning, disinfecting, sterilizing and putting back together over 165,000 instruments each week.
“If it’s reusable, it’ll come back down here,” says Albert Csapo, manager of the department. “This department is integral to the operation of the operating room and patient safety.”
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Everyone in the department has to go through an 11-week training program and four-week practicum, and there’s a five-foot wide reference book that lists every device they have to clean. The entire reprocessing cycle takes about four hours.
“The staff are great,” says Csapo.
“They’re well-trained, but they also have a passion for their job and it really shows.”
– With files from Elaine Yong