A global shortage of medical contrast dye is forcing the postponement of non-urgent and elective procedures that require the dye and cannot be done otherwise. The shortage comes after one of the main companies making the dye, GE Healthcare, was forced to shut down production at its plant during the COVID-19 lockdown. Although it is back-up and operating at full capacity, the shortage continues to affect hospitals and clinics worldwide. BC’s Ministry of Health told CBC in an emailed statement that GE Healthcare has emphasized the need to preserve what health supply authorities have. Contrast dye makes blood vessels and organs more visible and is used in CT scans, heart procedures, and other surgeries. Dr. Brenda Farnquist, a radiologist at Kelowna General Hospital, said there is about a three- to four-week supply of contrast dye in the province right now. Uncertainty about when more will come means some non-urgent and elective procedures are being postponed, so the opposition can be reduced to portions for those who require it immediately. Emergency procedures will proceed as usual, Farnquist said. The ministry said all requests for contrast-enhanced CT scans will be reviewed and, when possible, those procedures will be done without contrast or using an alternative procedure before being postponed. If any area in the province requires more, Farnquist said health authorities will take it to where it’s needed. The shortage is affecting other provinces, including neighboring Alberta, where thousands of residents scheduled for imaging procedures have been told their appointments will have to wait. More than 1,000 postponements are expected next week. Farnquist said GE Healthcare makes about half of the contrast dye in the world. Although there is another supplier, he said he has contracts to fulfill and cannot afford to do enough to fill the current gap. More shipments of paint are expected in the next six weeks, but it is not certain, he added. The ministry said GE Healthcare could not confirm when BC would get more paint. “We literally have … meetings twice a week to see where we are on this with the bid,” he said. “It is expected that this will continue through September until this plant is up to full speed.” Vancouver radiologist and president of the BC Radiological Society Dr. Charlotte Yong-Hing said she does not expect the shortage and delays in imaging procedures to affect patient care “too much.” “We hope it’s very temporary,” he said. Yong-Hing said, “In every crisis, there is an opportunity,” meaning that health workers are looking for ways to use opposition more effectively and looking for creative ways to maintain opposition should it arise again.
