Over 50 people have had their surgery cancelled because of an outbreak of a so-called "super bug" at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan, Co Meath.
The antibiotic resistant infection is VRE or Vancomycin Resistent Enterococcus. The infection was confirmed in a patient nearly three weeks ago and the North Eastern Health Board decided to cancel admissions to the orthopaedic unit as well as orthopaedic surgery on July 29th.
The board only confirmed the situation at the hospital in a press statement to local media yesterday afternoon.
Since the end of July 52, people have been told their surgery has had to be cancelled as a result of the bug.
Four patients have tested positive for the infection. One of them remains in isolation to prevent the spread of the disease.
A spokeswoman for the health board said last night that the orthopaedic unit has been "deep-cleansed" and they are confident that there is now no VRE in the hospital. Only the orthopaedic unit has been affected and general surgery is not disrupted.
It is unclear how long it will be before orthopaedic surgery resumes and "we are taking advice from a micro-biologist on the matter", the spokeswoman added.
Every year hundreds of people undergo surgery at the hospital. It also dealt with all major orthopaedic trauma, such as traffic accident related injuries, until last year when it was transferred to the Lourdes hospital in Drogheda.
Our Lady's Hospital now deals with elective or planned surgery such as joint replacements including hip operations. Two of its four theatres are used for orthopaedic procedures.
In its statement yesterday the health board said, "We apologise for any inconvenience caused to patients but wish to stress that this decision has been taken in the interest of best practice and in the interest of patient safety. Services will be restored as soon as possible."
Symptoms of VRE infection include a fever, pus coming from a wound or a high white blood cell count. People can also carry the infection without developing any sign of illness.
Those most at risk are patients who have been in intensive care, had major surgery, have been on a range of antibiotics or had a long-term illness.
Once it has been confirmed hospital staff and visitors must follow a strict regime to ensure it does not spread.
Former health board member Cllr Tommy Reilly criticised the board over its management of the crisis saying, "management in orthopaedic surgery have to issue a statement on this and clear up the trauma being caused to patients and staff who want to know if an end to it is in sight".
He claimed that close to 25 staff including theatre nurses had been affected. However, the Irish Nurses Organisation said there were about 12 nurses involved.
They had been attached to the theatre that has been closed as a result of the infection and some of them may be transferred to the Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda until the infection has been dealt with, an INO spokeswoman said.
The risk of infection in Our Lady's was referred to in the Health Care Risk Report carried out by consultants in the UK for the board in 2000.
It said that, while there was an infection control policy, it was not possible to ascertain if it was being implemented. It also said there was a lack of separation areas in the orthopaedic theatres and that clean and dirty instruments were handled in the same area.