King Edward VII Memorial hospital bosses still can't estimate when their main sterilising machine can be fixed and non-essential operations can resume.

The machine broke down on Friday and Canadian experts were flown in to fix it.

Yesterday, a US expert arrived to help find out how to flush out an overload of softening and conditioning chemicals accidentally put into the machine during cleaning.

Surgeries around the Island have loaned equipment to help out and make sure enough clean instruments are on hand for urgent operations.

Surgeon Robert Vallis said sterilising sufficient instruments was a round the clock process.

He said: "Sterilising staff have been working very, very hard, all night long to make sure we have what we need for life threatening and serious emergencies.

"Unfortunately, routine patients will have to wait. Fortunately because it is Christmas there are fewer of them.

"The medical community at large has supported us."

He said even with several small machines the hospital couldn't risk carrying out non essential operations and risk leaving themselves short for emergencies.

Hospital Chief Executive Officer Stephanie Reid said: "We are doing our best to ensure it is back to normal. We are sorry for any inconvenience caused."

But she refused to give an estimate of when it would be fixed. She said the laundry, kitchen and laboratory all used the steam machine but had not reported problems.

Loretta Santucci, programme manager of surgery, said the problem had occurred when the boiler which produces steam being overloaded with chemicals during shut down.

"That causes a problem when you sterilise instruments."

Bermuda Wellness Centre is one of the surgeries which loaned sterilising equipment.

Facial plastic surgeon Dr. Bruce Lattyak said: "We felt the over-riding concern was the emergency cases - that's why we loaned the equipment to the hospital."

He said the loaned machine which was sent over yesterday wasn't as large as the hospital's own machine.

Dr. Lattyak said the loan of the machine hadn't disrupted the Wellness Centre's own surgery schedule too much.

"We have been able to work around it. Fortunately at this time of year there tends to not be as many cases going on."

And he said the hospital would send sterilised tools as part of the deal.

Dr. Lattyak said he thought the hospital was expecting to get their own machine, known as an autoclave machine, running within the next ten days.