In the pathology department of Halifax, a doctor works in a room with a tube dripping into a bucket.
In another room, staff wear expensive protective suits to protect themselves from toxic fumes due to ventilation problems.
Located in the Mackenzie building on the Victoria General site, the pathology manager says their crumbling infrastructure puts patient care at risk.
The pathology lab is a crucial but often overlooked part of the health care system, says Dr. Lorette Geldenhuis.
Her concerns are backed by a health check in Nova Scotia, which also warns that the condition of laboratory facilities is failing.
The team processes about 100,000 samples a year for patients in the Atlantic region. Although the amount of work is enough to be overwhelmed, problems with the building are pushing the team to the edge, says Geldenhuis.
“As the pressure continues to grow, no collegiality will compensate,” she said of the stress on her team. “It worries me that once we start losing pathologists after people resign, it will have a negative spiral effect.”
Dr. Lorette Geldenhuis, head of the pathology department, is worried about burnout in her department. She says staff are struggling with infrastructure problems while dealing with heavy workloads. (Submitted by Dr. Laurette Geldenhuys)
She says there have been several floods. One was “inches” of sensitive equipment in a laboratory that processes cancer samples.
In another office, “there is a pipe coming from the ceiling in a large bucket of water and this is not repairable. So the pathologist has to work under these conditions.”
Geldenhuis says her team is constantly worried about more floods.
“This can have a very significant negative impact on patient care. So it’s just a disaster waiting to happen.”
Geldenhuys’ concerns are reflected in the department’s review, which was published in March. It says “there are significant structural concerns about the Mackenzie Building” with “potential for serious service disruption”.
Janine Jackson, an assistant pathologist, processes a sample of lung cancer while wearing an air-purifying respirator or PAPR. (Submitted by Dr. Laurette Geldenhuys)
The ventilation system in the building is also terribly inadequate, says Geldenhuis. Some employees must wear bulky protective equipment to protect themselves from toxic fumes.
“They have to wear these suits with … a hood and a special filter that costs a lot of money. It’s completely non-recyclable. They just go to the trash,” she said.
Geldenhuys says it has been working with Nova Scotia engineers for years to find a solution, but all improvements will be in years.
The Department of Pathology hoped it would be a lasting solution in the future, as they expected to be part of the QEII reconstruction project.
Not included in the redevelopment plans
The expansion of Halifax Hospital includes the relocation of nine operating rooms from the Victoria General site to the new facility. Pathologists work closely with surgeons and often transport samples back and forth as part of their job.
Geldenhuys says they were shocked to learn that the pathology would remain permanently in the Mackenzie building.
“This means that many highly specialized subspecialists will have to abandon everything they do, go all the way to HI, give their opinion and return,” she said, adding that this makes it more likely that the specimen will be lost. “
“Current discussions” for modernization
Nova Scotia Health has rejected several requests for an interview on concerns. Instead, he sent statements that did not explain why the pathology was not moving.
“Nova Scotia Health and the Nova Scotia government continue to assess health infrastructure needs and are committed to upgrading and upgrading facilities throughout the province,” the statement said.
The Mackenzie Building is part of these ongoing discussions.
The Mackenzie building will continue to house the pathology ward, although nearby surgeons at Victoria General will be relocated to the QEII remodel. (Dave Irish / CBC)
Health officials also sent a five-year plan to maintain the Mackenzie building. It included new windows and work on heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems, but it is not said whether these projects will directly address the concerns of the pathology department.
Computers are crashing
The pathology department’s review also covers the outdated computer system, which relies on Windows 7 operating systems.
Geldenhuys says it is so unreliable that some pathologists resort to manually entering their long reports instead of dictating them.
“It takes an eternity,” she said. “Then you have to keep rereading it to make sure you don’t make typos. It’s really very disappointing.”
Nova Scotia Health said in a statement that 84 percent of health authorities’ computers have been upgraded to Windows 10. The entire network – including pathology – is expected to be ready by the end of the year.
Burning is a concern
Faced with all these challenges, Geldenhuys says staff are suffering from burnout. She says they stay because they have a great sense of camaraderie, but that can only go so far.
She says that both sides of the department – pathologists and technologists who prepare the samples – are working overtime, just to stay afloat and process the samples in a reasonable time.
She says they do not have time to learn new testing methods that can help determine whether patients can take newly developed drugs. Some of these samples are sent to other laboratories.
“There are other areas that are suffering, but patient care is a priority, so for the most part, as far as we can, we just keep doing it,” Geldenhuis said.
Add Comment