HSE warned of rat danger at hospital
Café closed after rodent found
THE discovery of a rat, which led to the closure for two days of a coffee dock at one of Ireland’s largest hospitals, had been predicted by an internal HSE document that has been seen by the Irish Mail On Sunday.
The Coffee Dock at Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan was shut down temporarily, reopening after a closure order was lifted last weekend.
The internal HSE document, which was released under Freedom of Information after a previous issue with rodents in 2010, lists a number of rodent-related issues between 2006 and 2009.
And prophetically it warns: ‘Holes and gaps to outside need to be sealed, otherwise rodent problem will most likely re-occur.’
The report details precisely where and when the problems arose, what the reasons were and what action, if any, was taken.
The complete list of documented incidents is extensive and includes reports of mice and rodent activity in key areas, such as the intensive care unit, orthopaedic theatre and the accident and emergency department; infestation of flies; dead birds and rats being discovered; and flying insect activity.
Independent local councillor Wayne Forde, a long-time campaigner on issues surrounding Our Lady’s, said: ‘I’m deeply shocked and horrified that the Coffee Dock in Our Lady’s Hospital had to be closed down for health and safety issues.
‘I firmly believe the problem is coming from the derelict site of the old Meath County Council yard, which is lying idle for the past 13 years.’
‘However a spokesman for Ireland’s leading pest-control company, Rentokil, suggested that the rats could have entered the restaurant by a variety of means.
He said: ‘First and foremost, if the outside of the premises is not sealed, then you can expect problems of this nature in a food-preparation area.
‘Rats can, believe it or not, scramble in through an open window, although sewer pipes would seem to be the most likely entry point in this incident.
‘They are very clever animals, it’s quite possible they were in there a while and were quiet enough to remain unnoticed.
‘To be fair to staff at the restaurant, rats are nocturnal animals and if the place is shut at night they probably wouldn’t have heard them.’
Fianna Fáil councillor Tommy Reilly said: ‘Our Lady’s is an antiquated building, the staff up there deserve better and it simply expedites the need for the regional hospital to be located in Navan as a matter of urgency.’
A HSE spokeswoman stated: ‘The information outlined was provided in 2010 in response to an FoI request.
‘Every effort is made to keep our premises free from vermin and other pests and to ensure that measures are in place to control access points, particularly at ground-floor level in our hospitals and during maintenance and construction projects.
‘As part of normal maintenance services in our hospitals, pest-control companies are contracted to undertake routine inspections for vermin and other pests. Such inspections are performed on a regular basis.
‘We are working closely with the private operators of the Coffee Dock to ensure that this matter is resolved as soon as possible,’ the HSE spokeswoman added.
‘It’s possible rats were in there for a while’