$1m revamp for lab

Extra boiler boosts hospital sterilisation

CAIRNS Hospital’s sterilisation lab will undergo a $1 million upgrade to help keep pace with demand for public health services in the Far North.

The hospital’s Central Sterilisation Department is responsible for cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising reusable medical and surgical instruments, and overseeing the maintenance of equipment for elective and emergency surgery at the health facility, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The upgrade will include installing a third boiler.

Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service acting executive director of Cairns services Sue Henderson said it would help with the growing needs of the health service.

“The CSD sterilises more than 92,000 instrument trays per year, a 32 per cent increase since April 2015, when the new department opened at the Cairns Hospital,” she said.

“The increase is related to additional operating theatres coming on line, extra elective and trauma surgery.”

Ms Henderson gave assurances there would be no disruption to the operation of the hospital during the department’s upgrade, which was due to be completed early next year.

The department, regarded as one of the best in Queensland, was originally opened in 2015, following five years of planning.

It features state-of-the-art equipment and top-of-therange technology, in line with international infection control standards.

Among the technologies used in the department is medical instrument tracking via scanners, which instantly identifies where equipment has come from, the patient it was used on and the staff that have handled it.

In the 2018/19 financial year, the Cairns Hospital Emergency Department had nearly 75,000 presentations, an increase of 5 per cent, or an extra 4000 people, over the previous year.

The hospital has more than 530 beds.

THE CSD STERILISES MORE THAN 92,000 INSTRUMENT TRAYS PER YEAR, A 32 PER CENT INCREASE SINCE APRIL 2015, WHEN THE NEW DEPARTMENT OPENED AT THE CAIRNS HOSPITAL. SUE HENDERSON