The Central Sterilization and Storage Department at the Owen King EU Hospital was the venue for a training session with sterilization experts from the University Hospital in Martinique. In attendance were staff of the Victoria Hospital Sterilization Department.

Nursing Director at the Victoria Hospital, Ruth Regis-Adesanya said the training focused on proper sterilization techniques.

“Through the EU we were given the opportunity to get a lot of our staff trained,” she said. “The training has two components. The first component was our staff from the Victoria Hospital going across to the University Hospital in Martinique, commonly known as Lamina Hospital, and the second component is a visit from the technical experts from the hospital in Martinique. Our staff members did go across, and they were exposed to the systems and processes at University Hospital, and now the university experts are here looking at our layout and ensuring that what they taught our staff can be practiced within the EU hospital setting.”

Head of the Sterilization Department at the Victoria Hospital, Nurse Hilaria Herman said the training session was beneficial.

“We gained a bit more knowledge on our five major activity areas—decommissioning, preparation and packaging, autoclaving, storage, and distribution.”

Facilitator Veronique Legris drew comparisons with the equipment used in Martinique and what is available at the EU hospital, stating that in Martinique there are similar washing machines and similar processes as at the EU hospital.

Nurse Herman stated that there is much to gain from the collaboration, one of which is the relationship that has been fostered, and opportunities for networking with colleagues in Martinique.

The Central Sterilization and Storage Department is responsible for the decontamination, assembly, sterile processing, storage and distribution of medical and surgical supplies and equipment throughout the hospital.