Another Reactor to Take Downtime

By 250 News

Prince George, B.C. -  The shortage of medical isotopes doesn't appear to be getting any better.

Northern Health says it was made aware that a reactor in the Netherlands which supplies medical isotopes will take a month-long shutdown this summer.  

Like the Chalk River facility, which has been out of operation because of maintenance difficulties, the Dutch reactor supplies about 30% of the world's radio isotopes used in medical testing.  The facility also supplies material to Covidien, which is the company Northern Health uses to supply isotopes for testing procedures.  Communications Officer Eryn Collins says the news that the High Flux Reactor in the Netherlands will be down for a month doesn't come as a surprise.

"When we were made aware of that, Northern Health participated in some contingency planning and coordinating allocation of the isotope supply that does exist on a provincial level. So there's a provincial working group of health authority and medical experts that's developed a triage criteria for patients to assist in prioritizing patients who need these types of services and procedures."

Collins says Northern Health has, so far, not had to implement the triage plan or cancel any procedures related to the isotope shortage.  However, given the latest reactor shutdown and the fact that the supply is not certain, she says Northern Health will continue to participate in the provincial allocation program.  Collins says the health authority will put its prioritization plan in place down the road if there is a need.

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