News

An Alberta hospital closed last month due to a scare over improper sterilization procedures and the outbreak of a superbug is back in business.

St. Joseph's General Hospital in Vegreville, east of Edmonton, is once again admitting acute-care patients under a plan that will see admissions at the 25-bed facility phased in while monitoring continues.

“We're pleased we're able to resume admissions,” said Jim Durham, who speaks for the hospital's oversight body, the East Central Health region.

“The people of Vegreville and area count on that hospital and we certainly want to let them know they should have no hesitation to being a patient at the hospital or using its emergency room services.”

The hospital was virtually shut down last month after a twofold problem emerged. Seven patients were struck with methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA. The antibiotic-resistant superbug is generally spread by health-care workers improperly or not washing their hands between patients.

The infections were reported to be minor, usually skin infections.

The hospital also faced questions over why it ignored an order to shut down its sterilization section after an inspection found surgical tools were not being cleaned properly and may have contained traces of blood and old tissue.

Officials are going over patient records for the last four years to determine if anyone contracted blood-borne pathogens such as HIV or hepatitis B and C from the tools.

The province took over the hospital and shut it down to new patients — though the emergency room remained open — until Dr. Gerhard Benade, the region's medical officer of health, was satisfied infection control measures were in place.

“The board has responded and has given those assurances, so Dr. Benade is now allowing admissions to resume,” said Durham.

The hospital is in the riding of Premier Ed Stelmach, who responded to news of the reopening by saying, “It's a good day.

“The board of management has done a real good job communicating with not only people in the town of Vegreville but in the community around.

“Physicians certainly are pleased now that they can start admitting people and don't have to find space in neighbouring facilities.”

The hospital currently has six patients. Four new admissions were allowed Tuesday, and two more would be permitted each day every day after that to a maximum 15 beds.

Infection prevention control measures will be carried out under the supervision of the interim director of nursing and if follow-up checks are positive, the hospital will be allowed to return to its 25-bed capacity.

The province has directed its arm's-length Health Quality Council to find out what went wrong at the hospital — a decision that set off angry debate in the legislature.

Opposition members say the panel, which is led by a medical doctor and includes lay persons in unrelated fields, doesn't have the mandate or enforcement capability to determine what really happened.

Vegreville residents complained the scandal had given the entire town a black eye and Alberta's nurses union reported its members in the town were being harassed and insulted.