Investigation needed into E. coli warning delay: hospital president
03.10.2008 16:04
Health
- Source: cbc.ca
The president of Windsor Regional Hospital in southwestern Ontario is demanding an investigation into delays in warning his hospital about possible E. coli contamination in lettuce served to patients. Michigan Health public health officials issued an alert Sept. 26 over 26 cases of E. coli strain O157:H7 suspected of contaminating lettuce from a distributor in Detroit. Hospital president David Musyj said his staff wasn't notified until Oct. 1 that the lettuce in a salad used at the hospital might have been contaminated. Musyj said he sent letters to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the federal government on Thursday, asking for an explanation. "It's important for not only Windsor Regional Hospital and its patients, but for the system as a whole. We need to correct the communication issues. We are on the heels of the listeria issue, which looks like there was some communication breakdown involved in that particular case. Two wrongs definitely don't make a right," he told CBC News. "This is not a baseball game where we wait for the third strike. We've had two strikes. It's time to correct the situation." A country-wide listeriosis outbreak has so far claimed 20 lives, with another 32 people seriously ill. According to media reports last week, the CFIA issued a warning five days after Ontario health officials told hospitals and nursing homes to stop using Maple Leaf meats, which were linked to the outbreak. CFIA food safety recalls specialist Davendra Sharma said on Friday that the CFIA learned about the Michigan health alert for lettuce from the Public Health Agency of Canada at around noon on Sept 30. CFIA officials immediately began tracking down Canadian importers of the lettuce, determining by the next morning, Oct 1, that it had been supplied only to the Windsor hospital, he said. "Within half an hour, our inspectors were in contact with the hospital," Sharma told CBC News. They also notified provincial and Windsor public health officials. "Our contact for international health issues is the Public Health Agency of Canada," he said. The PHAC could not immediately be reached for comment. Meanwhile, Musyj said the hospital has managed to notify 164 patients who were served the lettuce, eight of whom are showing symptoms and will be tested. Story Tools: E-MAIL | PRINT | Text Size: SMLXL | REPORT TYPO | SEND YOUR FEEDBACKRelatedInternal LinksOntario death pushes listeriosis toll to 20Health HeadlinesInvestigation needed into E. coli warning delay: hospital presidentThe president of Windsor Regional Hospital in southwestern Ontario is demanding an investigation into delays in warning his hospital about possible E. coli contamination in lettuce served to patients.Insecticides still best treatment for head lice, pediatricians adviseHead lice are common, contagious and dreaded by parents of school-aged children, but are not a health hazard, the Canadian Pediatric Society said in a new position statement.Health officials seek bus passengers exposed to TBOntario public health officials are looking for 27 people who could have contracted tuberculosis during a Greyhound bus trip to Windsor, Ont., on Aug. 31.Tearful manager rebukes politicians at cancer inquiryBetween tears and emotional pauses, a senior health manager apologized Thursday for what Newfoundland and Labrador breast cancer patients have endured.Better mental-health services needed for youth, group saysThe next federal government needs to do more to help young people with mental-health problems, the president of the Canadian Psychological Association says. Health FeaturesHEALTHMultiple sclerosisHigh rates in Canada and around the worldIN DEPTHFood additivesPreservation with a risk?HEALTHPsychologyInside the endurance athlete's mindVIEWPOINTHeather MallickFat and food: what's the real crisis?MEDICAL RESEARCHBrain banksCrucial for research, clamouring for donorsCHILD PSYCHOLOGYPoliticians' behaviourHow do we explain it to our kids?People who read this also read …
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