Health authorities from WA are probing on the issue of how a doctor broke the set of practices in administering anesthetics which resulted to exposing 250 North-west patients to the risk of numerous infectious diseases.

Blood borne infections include hepatitis B, C as well as HIV.

The anesthetist who is under investigation had worked between July 1 2008 to April 1 of this year at Port Hedland Hospital. He had also worked for short periods at the Nickol Bay and Derby Hospitals.

Felicity Jefferies, director of the WA Country Health Service, says the doctor is not contaminated with an infectious disease.

The health service is currently reviewing all patient cases and is contacting those who may have been afflicted with the disease.

Ms. Jefferies said that there is no need of panic at this stage.

The risk was very low, she confirmed.

If we can save one patient by treating them properly, this is important to us.

Medicine Infection Hepatitis b