Mould Scare at Royal Perth Hospital

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Mould scare at RPH

August 19, 2006 04:00pm

Lampathakis

Sunday Times.au - Perth,WA,Australia

http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,20183132-2761,00.html

UP to 400 patients have been put at risk from potentially deadly

mould that is growing on Royal Perth Hospital airconditioners and

ice-making machines.

RPH senior managers were warned months ago about the slime on

airconditioners, but failed to act.

But after calls from The Sunday Times on Friday, staff were ordered

to hose down an airconditioner to remove ooze.

Murdoch University environmental toxicologist Dingle said

mould could be lethal for hospital patients with weak immune

systems.

The mould was growing on a rusty unit on RPH's fourth level that

sucks air into a special diet kitchen for patients too ill to handle

solid food. The photograph was taken this week.

Ice-making machines from level Four to 10 in A block had similar

infestations.

The area houses about 400 patients, including many with cancer and

immuno-deficiency diseases, as well as people needing bone-marrow

transplants.

``Mould can cause anything from allergies to severe respiratory

diseases, but where people's immune systems are down, like in a

hospital, it can be lethal,'' Prof Dingle said.

``In the US, mould is considered the next asbestos. There are

million-dollar lawsuits over contaminated airconditioning systems

and mould contamination _ it should not be underestimated.

``This is crazy, it should be cleaned up now. There's no excuse.

``Wherever you've got moisture and the potential for mould, you've

also got potential for virtually all types of micro organisms, from

bacteria to protozoa, even legionnaires' disease.''

RPH insiders told the Sunday Times that maintenance staff reported

the airconditioning slime to senior managers at least twice in the

past four months.

A hazard report was submitted as late as last week, but no action

was taken.

``I've worked here for years and this is one of the worst stuff-ups

because it has put patients' lives at risk,'' one insider said.

``How would you like it if your elderly mum or dad went into

hospital while this was happening?''

Recently, there was slime in other airconditioners.

Staff said RPH went into ``damage control'' after The Sunday Times

asked questions and planned to have new panels fitted on the

offending airconditioner by yesterday.

``They started hosing down the airconditioning unit about an hour

after your email hit the hospital,'' an RPH staffer said.

An RPH spokeswoman said the only response she could give to The

Sunday Times' questions was: ``This situation has been investigated

and any health concerns have been ruled out.''