You might take it for granted that all the equipment and instruments used in surgery are germ-free, but there?s a whole department at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital that is tasked with making sure everything is properly sterilised.

The ten full-time workers in the Sterile Processing Department (SPD) are responsible for sterilising all items needed in surgeries as well as certain instruments needed in other areas of the hospital.

Many of the items they are responsible for cleaning have very specific requirements as laid down by the manufacturer. It is very important that these standards are kept both for patient health and the integrity of the hospital.

In fact Ebenezer Asirvatham, SPD Coordinator at KEMH said that medical advances in the surgical field have seen more demand placed on hospital sterilisation units.

?The workload in the past was much less, but with new advances comes new instruments and new knowledge is needed to follow the specifications of the manufacturer,? he said.

And the work is not restricted to just sterilising equipment. Technologists in the department are also responsible for cleaning, packaging and often assembling instruments needed for surgeries or treatment.

Mr. Asirvatham was charged with developing an in-house training programme for his staff that he is currently teaching.

He spent one year developing the in-house certification programme, which he said concentrates on procedures and methods used at KEMH.

There are twelve chapters that cover microbiology, infection control, anatomy and physiology, decontamination and disinfection, packaging, sterilisation at high and low temperatures and even professionalism.

While Mr. Asirvatham teaches much of the material himself, specialists in specific areas like infection control and professionalism also give talks.

Classes are two hours long and are given once a week during the regular workday.

Hospital spokeswoman Lena Ostroff said the classes have raised morale in the department as the technicians realise how important the work they do is to the health of patients and the success of the hospital.

With over 18 years experience in the field gained in India, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, Mr. Asirvatham said Bermuda is the first place he?s worked where the technicians had no certified formal training.

?Here we take people directly from other fields, so they need to be taught exactly the proper way to do things,? he said.

Classes began in February and to date five chapters have been completed.

?My aim is to finish all 12 chapters before December,? said Mr. Asirvatham. On completion of the chapters the staff will sit a 250-question exam, which they will need to pass in order to be certified.

Programme Manager for Critical Care at KEMH, Loretta Santucci said: ?The primary purpose of this course is to help employees demonstrate the critical knowledge skills and abilities necessary to perform safely and effectively.?