EFHSS Questions and Answers - Answer to Question Q00502

This is a question on Ethics. Most of the EtO companies in India are not informing the Hospital Administrators about the possible health hazards of using EtO and thus the precautions that need to be taken while handling EtO Sterilizers. As a result very few CSSDs in India do any kind of EO monitoring. More over EO is released in the atmosphere without abator.

One of the reasons for this neglect is the there in no regulation by our Government on use of Ethylene Oxide. I will therefore request that at least the respected international EtO sterilizers comply with international standards even in our country.

Dear,

I completely agree with you.
It is not ethical that companies that have the knowledge, do not put it or do put it only partially at the disposal of the CSSD and sell, for commercial reasons, machines, techniques and installations which do not meet the state of the art criteria or the needs of the CSSD.
In case of Ethylene Oxide for example this can lead to serious health risks both for the patient and the operator. The fact that there ar no local norms can be no valid excuse for companies that make use of this loophole to sell techniques that are not up to date or even no longer in use in other countries.
The principle of fair trade has to be applied to the CSSD as well!!!!

But the problem is not restricted to the company concerned. The CSSD too is involved. When the CSSD has the necessary knowledge, it can critically weigh the different options and make the right choice.
The national society can exert pressure on the government to draw up guidelines.

So there still is a lot of work to do.
Good luck,
Wim Renders