Victims join fightback against hospital superbug
MRSA victims and their families will today help the Oireachtas Health Committee draw up guidelines to combat the hospital superbug.
Last week’s first-ever audit of hygiene in Ireland’s national acute hospitals found that almost half of them had poor hygiene.
There were 315 reported cases of MRSA infections in the first six months of this year but the number of MRSA-related deaths are not officially recorded by the health services.
Health Committee chairman John Moloney said he would be listening closely to the victims’ experiences and concerns and reporting back to Minister for Health Mary Harney.
“Clean hospitals are essential for public confidence and for infection control,” he said.
“Patients deserve no less than top-class cleanliness in every area of each hospital. The experiences of those who have suffered from the hospital superbug and their families will be invaluable in highlighting best practice to tackle MRSA.”
The Government TD said there was no single solution to driving down infections and that a whole package of measures was needed to combat the superbug.
“It is vital that public and patients must have full confidence in the hygiene standards of our hospitals. Everyone has a role to play – hospital cleaners are as important as consultants when it comes to these issues,” he added.
