Following concerns over a Georgia VA hospital sterilization procedures for reusable medical devices, approximately 4,000 patients are urged to test for several blood-borne viruses.

The hospital in question is Carl Vinson VA Medical Center. Veterans are being advised to test for HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C after discovering that the durable medical equipment used during the VA hospital’s procedures “may not have received all the necessary steps for complete and safe reprocessing.”

Since there are concerns about the sterilization process for reusable medical devices, the medical center will halt all medical procedures and operations between Jan. 12-14.

Thousands of Veterans At Risk

Patients who had optometry, dentistry, urology, endoscopy, podiatry, or surgical procedure between Jan. 3-27 are urged to be tested immediately.

VA Health Care System Director Manuel Davila said they conducted an internal inspection. In that inspection, they discovered the steps required to ensure complete sterilization of medical tools might not have been followed consistently.

However, officials claim that the risk of an “infectious disease is very low.”

If a patient tests positive for infectious disease due to the hospital’s negligence, the VA will provide medical treatment and test the veterans’ families and caregivers.

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