Ads by Google Ads by Google

LBJ hospital cancels surgeries because of equipment failure

LBJ Hospital sign
Source: RNZ Pacific

Pago Pago, AMERICAN SAMOA — Some surgeries at American Samoa's only hospital, the LBJ, were delayed or cancelled because a critical piece of machinery wasn't working.

The autoclave, which sterilises surgical tools, has been down for about a month.

Our correspondent said only one operating room had been functioning and only emergency operations were being performed.

The Chief Executive confirmed the autoclave was out of action but said the operations that did go ahead use tools that were sterilised in the dental department's autoclave.

Parts for the autoclave were ordered but hadn't made the 20 March cargo flight.

These parts arrived the following week and engineering work to repair the autoclave is ongoing.