HELPING HAND FOR SURGEONS
THE Townsville Hospital’s Central Sterilising Department ( CSD) has almost doubled in size after an $ 8.5 million refurbishment.
The CSD is responsible for cleaning, sterilising and taking inventory of more than 20,000 surgical items from 14 operating theatres and four public dental services daily.
Townsville Hospital and Health Board acting chair Michelle Morton said fully automated state- ofthe- art equipment had been introduced in the CSD’s redevelopment, which was funded by the Federal Government.
“This is a sophisticated, modern and contemporary clinical sterilising department that will keep our health service at the forefront of healthcare delivery in our region,” Ms Morton said.
“This unit is an essential cog in the daily operations of North Queensland’s largest tertiary referral centre, ensuring the equipment our surgeons and dentists use is safe and functional every time.”
Equipment used in surgery arrives at the CSD and goes through five separate zones – decontamination, cleaning, packaging, sterilising and cooling. CSD nurse unit manager Norma Ponte said there were rigorous checks at each stage.
“The entire process takes about three hours from when we receive the equipment to when we send it back to theatre,” she said.