A U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs official told NBC-4 News some surgical devices were discolored and may have been subjected to an excessive amount of cleaning solution. Agency officials were also reportedly on-site Friday to “ensure staff are trained appropriately in the sterile processing of instruments,” the report states.
VA employees at the facility informed agency officials of the incident, and said no patients were harmed, according to the report.
The VA department’s Office of the Inspector General will also reportedly review the incident.
Officials have uncovered a string of patient safety and quality issues at the VA hospital during the past few years. The facility suffered a cockroach infestation within its food service areas in 2015. A previous NBC-4 News report also revealed a patient’s body went undiscovered in a car in the hospital’s parking lot in May, the report states.
A spokesperson for the Washington, D.C., hospital told NBC-4 News the facility has since strengthened its security policies to monitor patients outside the facility.
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