Bug drives kids out of RCH ward

[Guest guest]

Bug drives kids out of RCH ward

Pountney, health reporter

03jan06

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17717840%

255E2862,00.html

CANCER patients at the Royal Children's Hospital face a boring stay

after being moved to a temporary ward.

Several children were moved from the cancer ward before Christmas

after tests revealed increased levels of a dangerous airborne bug.

But the temporary ward to which the children were moved lacks the

entertainment facilities of the closed ward.

Children are sharing one television set among up to five patients,

where in the other ward they had individual screens.

The decision to move the children came after tests revealed high

levels of the fungus aspergillus, naturally present in dust but

which is dangerous for cancer patients and people with suppressed

immune systems.

Dust levels in the ward had increased as a result of building works

and construction of the new children's cancer centre.

It is the second time children have been moved from the oncology

ward as a result of aspergillus.

Ten children were moved during an aspergillus scare in late

November.

" Aspergillus is one of those bugs that is present everywhere . . .

and they were moved because of that, " RCH spokeswoman Kate

said.

" It was always something we knew would be likely and it happened.

" It's temporary. "

Ms said building works could be completed as early as March.

While she said that the entertainment facilities in the new ward

were not ideal, she added that the hospital was working to provide

more options for its patients.

" It's not ideal but there's a television in every room, " she said.

" Normally they are used to having a TV each but we are looking at

getting portable DVD players and Game Boys that kids can have

individually, but we haven't been able to make it happen yet. "

Some children are in the ward for only a few days while having

chemotherapy treatment while others are there for the longer term.

" We are working on getting more things for them individually but

it's been difficult over Christmas, " Ms said.

She stressed that moving patients to a temporary ward in no way

affected the medical care that they received.

" It's just that this is not what they are used to, " she said.