Eight staff members at Bermuda Hospitals Board have picked up a new qualification in sterile processing.

The team now becomes King Edward VII Memorial Hospital’s first ever certified sterile processing technicians, having completed a year-long training course.

They belong to the Sterile Processing Department (SPD), which cleans and sterilises equipment used in surgery and other patient areas.

Surgical programme manager Loretta Santucci said: “It is a new course and we are very proud of these employees, who are the first members of our staff to have achieved this milestone.

“By completing a comprehensive, 12-module programme and passing 15 separate examinations, our graduates have greatly increased their skill set. This course recognises the vital role SPD plays in providing excellent patient care in surgery.”

The in-house course, designed by SPD Coordinator Ebenezer Asirvatham, is based on guidelines established by the International Association for Healthcare Central Service Materials Management.

Modules included the study of surgical instrument sterilisation, anatomy, microbiology, infection control and decontamination procedures.

Janel Lodge Fletcher, one of the graduates, said, “Becoming a certified sterile processing technician has given me confidence and a sense of pride. My knowledge base has improved significantly.”