Two newborn babies have reportedly been given nitrous oxide instead of oxygen at Bankstown Hospital.
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The second baby is suspected to have suspected brain damage.
Nitrous oxide and oxygen are both odourless and colourless, but BOC’s company website suggests its oxygen gas tanks are black, while those filled with nitrous oxide are light blue.
Ms Skinner will hold a press conference with the Chief Health Officer Dr Kerry Chant on Tuesday morning to address the issue.
Staff are also confident that no other babies born since July 2015 have been treated with the wrong gas.
One baby has died and another is in a critical condition after being mistakenly administered nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, instead of oxygen at a hospital in Sydney, Australia.
“I’ve described it as a devastating error”. NSW Health will do all it can to support them, ‘ Ms Skinner said in a statement.
The MP revealed that a gas dispenser was incorrectly installed in July a year ago, the error was only discovered last Thursday.
“I deeply regret these families have suffered such a devastating error”, Ms Skinner said, adding they were told of the mix-up during a meeting with the hospital’s senior staff on the weekend.
The death has been referred to the coroner.
‘It has been corrected but the theatre remains closed’.
Ms Skinner said the Government had contacted BOC Limited “demanding urgent advice” on how the incorrect installation had occurred.
While the oxygen outlet was incorrectly installed by industrial products company BOC in July 2015, Ms Skinner said hospital management was certain no other babies had received gas from that outlet.
Laughing gas can be unsafe as it can lead to a lack of oxygen.
South Western Sydney Local Health District has launched an investigation to find out if hospital staff followed rules that may have uncovered the installation error previous year.
Every medical gas outlet installed in a NSW Health facility is being checked and the department has advised the state’s health districts to urgently review their installation procedures.
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“This is why the Health Minister must launch an immediate external investigation”, Mr Secord said.
