LONDON, ONT. -- Bruce Power has sent a shipment of Cobalt-60, a medical isotope that will then be used to sterilize medical equipment, for processing.
The isotope will be handled by Ottawa-based Nordion, and then distributed to medical facilities.
It can then be used to sterilize "drapes, gowns, surgical gloves, scalpels and other single-use medical devices cleaned by radiation sterilization."
About 40 per cent of the world's medical devices are sterilized this way.
“In a critical time for hospitals, clinics and other health-care facilities around the world, we can provide support the doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and other front-line health-care workers with the production of Cobalt-60,” James Scongack, executive vice-president of Corporate Affairs and Operational Services for Bruce Power, said in a statement.
The isotope is also used for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
This is just Bruce Power's latest contribution during the pandemic.
On Tuesday the company announced it would be making its annual holiday donation to food banks in Bruce and Huron counties early, contributing $300,000 to support the community.
That amount included funds slated for company events that had been cancelled as a result of COVID-19.
They have also been donating medical supplies, where available, to local hospitals.
The news comes after the Tiverton, Ont. organization said it had reduced its workers by two-thirds to help stop the spread of the virus.
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