Chetwynd General Hospital receives laboratory upgrades

CHETWYND, B.C. — Chetwynd General Hospital’s laboratory recently received a new air conditioning system air and improvements to its chiller. 

According to a release from Northern Health, the laboratory’s original air conditioning unit was over 30 years old and was not functioning efficiently. 

Although the air conditioner was able to maintain temperature with older equipment, it was unable to remain effective with new analyzers and equipment the lab is continuously receiving. 

Without an air conditioner that could handle newer and more powerful equipment, the lab would become uncomfortably hot for those working there — with temperatures sometimes rising more than 30 degrees in the summer. 

Northern Health says the new air conditioning system allows the laboratory to modernize and expand its capabilities without compromising the safety of either staff or lab samples. Newly installed ducting triples the amount of air moving into the department, and the new chiller unit outside the lab boosts air conditioning capacity.

The purpose of the chiller unit is to create cooled liquid and then circulate it through a heat exchanger in order to cool air or equipment. 

The upgrades and improvements cost approximately $75,000. The cost included the purchase of a new chiller and condensing unit, setting up a temporary lab, shutting down immovable equipment, and implementing infection and control measures. Electrical and ventilation systems were also upgraded, including new ducting. 

Northern Health believes the ability to resume testing in the Chetwynd General Hospital lab relieves pressure off of other labs in northeast B.C., which in turn reduces the number of patient transfers. 

As technologies evolve, other labs in the region will likely need similar upgrades, with costs varying according to the details and setup of each lab.