A bacteria infection at the Dialysis Unit at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) has led to it being closed since last Thursday.
The closure has meant that 22 patients in need of dialysis have had to be outsourced, costing the Martindales Road, St Michael institution thousands of dollars.
Yesterday, the QEH’s chief executive officer Dr Dexter James confirmed the incident, but gave the assurance that patient care had not been compromised. He said once the infection was recognised they moved swiftly to deal with the problem.
In an interview with the SUNDAY SUN, Opposition Senator Jerome Walcott revealed the problem within the unit saying he was concerned about it, “recognising the high numbers of Barbadians who use that unit and the fact that it has been closed for the last few days”.
James responded saying that the QEH had taken reasonable steps to address the matter after they were advised the bacteria were located there.
He said pseudomonas was very commonplace in dialysis units and in patients who have catheters or IV (intravenous) lines.
