What a title to start the new year: Dead rats, cockroaches and maggots found in hospitals

Image via WikipediaDead rats, cockroaches and maggots found in hospitals
By Patricia McDonagh
Friday January 02 2009

DEAD rats, maggots, mice and cockroaches have been found in more hospitals around the country, new internal reports show.

Fourteen more hospitals have admitted they experienced pest problems over the past seven years.

Last night there were calls for stricter sanctions on hospitals that do not maintain standards when it comes to controlling pests.

Previously this newspaper revealed how pest control companies were called in to tackle cockroach, ant and rodent infestations at 21 HSE and voluntary hospitals.

Additional reports reveal even more alarming incidents -- many detailing how rats and mice are stalking hospital corridors.

Incidents included a rat in the darkroom of an x-ray department, a mouse in the light fixture of an operating theatre, and a dead mouse in a cardiac investigations unit.

The details were obtained by a Freedom of Information request (FOI) which was sent out to all HSE and voluntary hospitals around the country.

Many voluntary hospitals refused to respond, but almost all of the HSE hospitals reported some type of infestation.

The scale of the problem will raise fresh concerns about the cleanliness of hospitals and the spread of disease to patients on the wards...

FULL ARTICLE

What a great title to start the New Year!
Cheers, Greg