Problems at Histology Lab

The extractor fans within the lab stopped working and poor ventilation and the circulation of formaldehyde (used for preserving human tissue samples) fumes have been blamed for illness including nausea, vomiting and fainting among technicians handling tissue samples.

The lab was closed on June 24 and has not been reopened. As a result, patients’ samples must be taken to private laboratories. In a report aired on a television station’s seven o’clock news broadcast last night, a worker said the laboratory was not in compliance with standards for storage of cancer-causing chemicals for testing and handling of infectious materials.

“The containers that they use are not air tight containers so the fumes escape. They use water bottle containers and all kinds of inappropriate storage...makeshift containers to try and store the samples,” a worker told the television station.

Air quality assessments were done by the Caribbean Industrial Research Institute (CARIRI) and tests were done on employees. The workers said they do not know the results of the tests and whether there are any negative health effects from exposure.

Two months ago, a gas leak was discovered and air quality tests were done and tests on workers.

The Chief Executive Officer of the North Central Regional Health Authority Colin Bissessar said a gas leak in the laboratory was repaired but it was still closed because CARIRI had to do more air-quality tests.

Bissessar said other regional health authorities were assisting with testing of samples from emergency cases and the backlog of samples would be addressed. The NCRHA was seeking to hire two pathologists.

Health Minister Dr Fuad Khan said a backlog of specimens to be processed at hospitals was not new and hospitals have sent specimens to other labs for analysis. An Occupational Safety and Health team from the ministry has assessed the laboratory. Khan did not know how items were stored but said water bottles should not be used.