Another cleaning for Women’s Hospital

A major cleaning exercise has been started at Mt Hope Women’s Hospital, Mt Hope, a week after  publicised reports from two women whose babies died at the hospital.

One of them, Anisha Khan, alleged that several babies died at the facility during the seven weeks she was warded. Khan said her baby died on October 7 from enterobacter bacteria at the neonatal unit of the hospital, although the North West Regional Health Authority has denied the report. Newsday was reliably informed that Century 21 Janitorial Services Company Ltd, which conducted sanitisation after an outbreak of the bacterial at the neonatal unit last September, has again been called in to repeat the work. The scope of cleaning will cover the neonatal and labour units and is expected to last two weeks.

A source said the work is part of the general maintenance of the facility and the company has been contracted to do cleaning and sanitising on a regular basis. While the neonatal unit has been free from enterobacter after the first cleaning, the source said tests  detected it in two babies who were subsequently admitted to the hospital. Enterobacter is among several infections which can be acquired during a hospital stay. It usually affects patients whose immune systems have been compromised due to age, disease, medication and surgery. The Corporate Comm-unications Department of the North West Regional Health Authority could not comment on the issue, but said a media release will be issued today.