The fault, identified as a serious technical problem since Friday, has resulted in several operations being canceled and many planned procedures unable to proceed, according to official sources. Hospital management decided after a crisis meeting that Visby Hospital is moving into reinforcement mode to address the disruption. The technical issues likely stem from filtration problems with the water used in sterilization, officials said. The situation is compounded by water quality concerns and parts of the current equipment being broken and in the process of replacement, though the specific components needing repair have not been disclosed. The exact number of operations canceled or postponed remains unknown.
To mitigate the crisis, a mobile sterilization unit has been borrowed from the Swedish Armed Forces, with its full operational timeline still unclear. The Swedish Armed Forces, in collaboration with Region Gotland, has begun work to prepare a container with military sterilization equipment for commissioning. The container will be commissioned as soon as the equipment and installation have been validated and approved, officials confirmed. According to SVT Östergötland, Marie Loob, Health and Medical Care Director at Region Gotland, described the situation as unfortunate, noting efforts to increase capacity with backup solutions but not yet restored to normal levels.
It is of course very unfortunate, we are working to increase capacity with our backup solutions. But we are definitely not up and restored to normal level.
Collaborative efforts are underway, with sterile material delivered from Karolinska University Hospital for use in acute operations. Both hospital management and regional management have moved into reinforcement mode, with measures focusing on two tracks: solving the technical problems and increasing access to sterile material in collaboration with Region Stockholm. Johan Silfverstolpe, a staff physician at Gotland Regiment, P 18, said it is very positive that society's collective resources can be used where they are currently needed most. According to SVT Östergötland, Marie Loob described the likely cause as minerals and lime in the water, emphasizing a cautious approach. Marie Loob also noted that this support is a very valuable and concrete example of how total defense should work in practice.
The technical problems with sterilization technology at Visby Hospital mean a significant increased burden on both surgery and sterilization operations. Emergency operations at the hospital will be prioritized during these days, while the affected operations will be postponed. The timeline for restoring normal sterilization capacity has not been specified, and it is unknown if any patient safety incidents or infections have resulted from the issues. Employees are working intensively to prioritize, replan, and find alternative solutions to minimize the impact on patients, officials reported.
Most likely it is about minerals and lime in the water, but we are taking the safe for the unsafe.
It is very positive that we can use society's collective resources where they are currently needed most.