Infection Outbreak On Babies Contained
The infection outbreak at the Lautoka Hospital Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is now under control. In a statement the Ministry of Health and Medical Services, yesterday said: “There have been two infection outbreaks in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in 2017. “The most recent outbreak was declared on March 23.”
The ministry said contingency plans were implemented by the infection control team in accordance with standard operating procedures.
“They included relocating babies to safer places, screening and providing treatment as required,” the statement said.
“The cleaning process needed to control the infection involved cleaning of the Intensive Care Unit along with the cleaning of equipment.
“As a result of quick actions by the infection control team at the Lautoka Hospital the outbreak has been successfully contained.” There were concerns raised to the ministry that some mothers and their new-born babies had to sleep on the floor at the hospital recently because of the shortage of beds. Minister for Health and Medical Services Rosy Akbar said that the reported shortage of beds at the Lautoka Hospital, highlighted on social media, was not true.
Ms Akbar said that the matter had been addressed and the ministry was waiting for beds from overseas.