Saskatchewan health regions checking used needle protocols after child pricked

REGINA – An alert is going out to all Saskatchewan health regions on the protocol for dealing with needles after a toddler put her hands into a pail with used syringes at a hospital.

Health Minister Dustin Duncan says the regions are being told to make sure all facilities are following the rules for proper disposal.

The alert comes after a woman said her 19-month-old daughter snuck over to a garbage and got stuck with some needles in the emergency room in Outlook last week.

Petrina Kuzyk (COO-zik) says the child must now take drugs and get blood tests for six months to determine if she’s contracted any diseases.

The Heartland Health Region says it can’t comment on specific cases, but used needles are supposed to go into a special receptacle that hangs on the wall.

Duncan says an expedited investigation could take about a week and the audit results should take about 30 days.