Hospital’s ‘hopeless’ problem exposed: ‘Enough is enough’
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When you think you’ve heard it all, we have a new horror you probably wouldn’t expect.
We’re not talking about monsters under your bed; it’s the pests scurrying around at a hospital!
The Alfred Hospital, a major trauma centre in Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) has recently encountered a gnawing problem, and we mean that quite literally.
A shocking infestation of rodents has plagued the hospital, and these uninvited guests have been reported in every corner of the facility—from staff rooms and patients' beds to even the sanctum of any healthcare institution: the operating theatres.
Underneath the hustle and bustle of the hospital, health professionals, staff, and even patients alike have spotted the existence of the pests. It was mentioned that they were found in communal areas, staff rooms, and even in the visitors’ belongings.
Documents obtained by a news source through Freedom of Information laws reveal that despite professional pest controllers endeavouring to purge the facility of these pests since 2020, their measures have fallen woefully short.
One month this year has seen ‘eight alerts’ over the rodents.
More concerning than that, faeces have been reportedly found in patients’ beds. There are also reports of a patient ‘jumping up onto a table screaming’ to avoid mice that had run into their room.
The situation has prompted some staff to leave the hospital.
Professor John Wilson, who served there as a physician for three decades, cited the deplorable condition of the hospital as the ‘tipping point’ to hand in his notice.
‘When does the community stand up and say, enough is enough, rats in our hospitals are not acceptable, and it’s time we had a new one,’ he said.
Among the leading causes of this issue seems to be a lack of proper cleaning, litter disposal, and housekeeping. The hospital’s employees expressed their frustrations, one quoting, 'There is already a weekly scheduled service in place with extensive baiting occurring within, but the mice will seek out left-out food, crumbs etc. before they go for any of the baits.'
An insufficient budget seems to be another key issue that has amplified the rodent saga. The opposition accuses the state government of ignoring the hospital, the same hospital where Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews received treatment after a fall last year.
Unfortunately, The Alfred doesn’t seem to be enduring this problem in isolation.
Other Victorian hospitals, Sandringham and Caulfield, operated by Alfred Health, are reportedly wrestling with their own pest invasions.
Accounts say Sandringham has been overrun by cockroaches, while an employee at Caulfield reported finding a 25 cm snake at their aged care wing.
A spokesperson for Alfred Health stressed that 'regular inspection and treatment are scheduled' across all sites they operate, and they will ramp up their efforts in the face of this crisis.
They placed the blame partly at the doorstep of nearby construction. A spokesperson claimed: ‘Pest activity can be exacerbated during periods of nearby construction and, for this reason, maintenance visits and active baiting have both been increased at The Alfred over the past two years.’
‘Our kitchens regularly undergo rigorous audits by both accredited independent food safety auditors and the local council,’ they added.
Yet the concerns trickle down from the higher ranks, too. The Alfred’s Director of Trauma Services, Professor Mark Fitzgerald, paints a bleak picture of the hospital's state, dubbing it 'hopeless'.
He shared that he attempted to contact the Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, to inform him of the situation but hasn’t received a response.
Professor Fitzgerald has now gone public and talked about the ‘prehistoric’ operating theatres of the hospital on 3AW.
‘The future is dependent on money. I mean, those operating theatres were designed during the Vietnam War,’ he said.
‘The biggest issue with those operating theatres is not once you’re in them what you can do, but the changeover time between cases is extraordinarily long because of the bottlenecks caused by the old design, so we’re doing a lot less work than we should be able to.’
What do you think of this story, members? Do you have any similar horror stories to share? Let us know in the comments below!
We’re not talking about monsters under your bed; it’s the pests scurrying around at a hospital!
The Alfred Hospital, a major trauma centre in Melbourne's Central Business District (CBD) has recently encountered a gnawing problem, and we mean that quite literally.
A shocking infestation of rodents has plagued the hospital, and these uninvited guests have been reported in every corner of the facility—from staff rooms and patients' beds to even the sanctum of any healthcare institution: the operating theatres.
Underneath the hustle and bustle of the hospital, health professionals, staff, and even patients alike have spotted the existence of the pests. It was mentioned that they were found in communal areas, staff rooms, and even in the visitors’ belongings.
The Alfred Hospital is reportedly experiencing a major rodent infestation. Credit: Benjamin Crone/Shutterstock
Documents obtained by a news source through Freedom of Information laws reveal that despite professional pest controllers endeavouring to purge the facility of these pests since 2020, their measures have fallen woefully short.
One month this year has seen ‘eight alerts’ over the rodents.
More concerning than that, faeces have been reportedly found in patients’ beds. There are also reports of a patient ‘jumping up onto a table screaming’ to avoid mice that had run into their room.
The situation has prompted some staff to leave the hospital.
Professor John Wilson, who served there as a physician for three decades, cited the deplorable condition of the hospital as the ‘tipping point’ to hand in his notice.
‘When does the community stand up and say, enough is enough, rats in our hospitals are not acceptable, and it’s time we had a new one,’ he said.
Among the leading causes of this issue seems to be a lack of proper cleaning, litter disposal, and housekeeping. The hospital’s employees expressed their frustrations, one quoting, 'There is already a weekly scheduled service in place with extensive baiting occurring within, but the mice will seek out left-out food, crumbs etc. before they go for any of the baits.'
An insufficient budget seems to be another key issue that has amplified the rodent saga. The opposition accuses the state government of ignoring the hospital, the same hospital where Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews received treatment after a fall last year.
Unfortunately, The Alfred doesn’t seem to be enduring this problem in isolation.
Other Victorian hospitals, Sandringham and Caulfield, operated by Alfred Health, are reportedly wrestling with their own pest invasions.
Accounts say Sandringham has been overrun by cockroaches, while an employee at Caulfield reported finding a 25 cm snake at their aged care wing.
It was reported that a 25 cm snake was spotted at Caulfield Hospital’s aged care wing. Credit: Benjamin Crone/Shutterstock
A spokesperson for Alfred Health stressed that 'regular inspection and treatment are scheduled' across all sites they operate, and they will ramp up their efforts in the face of this crisis.
They placed the blame partly at the doorstep of nearby construction. A spokesperson claimed: ‘Pest activity can be exacerbated during periods of nearby construction and, for this reason, maintenance visits and active baiting have both been increased at The Alfred over the past two years.’
‘Our kitchens regularly undergo rigorous audits by both accredited independent food safety auditors and the local council,’ they added.
Yet the concerns trickle down from the higher ranks, too. The Alfred’s Director of Trauma Services, Professor Mark Fitzgerald, paints a bleak picture of the hospital's state, dubbing it 'hopeless'.
He shared that he attempted to contact the Premier of Victoria, Daniel Andrews, to inform him of the situation but hasn’t received a response.
Professor Fitzgerald has now gone public and talked about the ‘prehistoric’ operating theatres of the hospital on 3AW.
‘The future is dependent on money. I mean, those operating theatres were designed during the Vietnam War,’ he said.
‘The biggest issue with those operating theatres is not once you’re in them what you can do, but the changeover time between cases is extraordinarily long because of the bottlenecks caused by the old design, so we’re doing a lot less work than we should be able to.’
What do you think of this story, members? Do you have any similar horror stories to share? Let us know in the comments below!
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