MONTREAL -- Lakeshore General Hospital employees have been using expired N95 masks for more than a week, according to one worker.
The employee, who asked to remain anonymous for fear of retribution, said they first noticed the masks were expired on Sunday. After speaking with colleagues, they said they suspect the expired masks have been circulating for 10 days.
Images of the several of the boxes the masks were delivered in say they should be used by 2011, with others saying 2010 or 2009.
The employee said while they hadn't performed high-risk procedures, they were concerned because the hospital didn't tell them every box contained expired masks.
They said staff received an email from hospital management blaming the expired masks on a logistical error that would be fixed and that Health Canada guidelines say expired masks are fine to use. According to the American Centre for Disease Control, expired masks are acceptable during a crisis situation in which there is a shortage of masks. But the Health Canada website said N95 masks past their designated shelf lives are no longer certified by the National Institute for Occupational Health and Safety.
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The staff member said they were still wearing an expired mask as recently as Tuesday night.
The website added that an expired mask can still be effective at protecting healthcare providers.
Health Minister Danielle McCann said the government will look into the N95 situation.
“We're going to look into that, we have N95 masks, we have enough to give what's needed,” she said. “There will be a call and we want to know what's going on. There's no reason for that and we're going to check everything on that.”
The regional health authority and hospital management did not respond to requests for comment.
