The infection risk in our hospitals shows no signs of abating despite particular efforts to control the dangerous antibiotic-resistant MRSA "superbug". These hospital-acquired infections are alarmingly frequent as shown by the latest figures acquired through a Freedom of Information request and reported in this newspaper today.
It is appalling to consider that along with the worry of entering hospital for surgery or other treatment, patients must also face the prospect of possible infection by MRSA or other organisms such as the dangerous Clostridium difficile. It simply is not good enough that these risks exist at the level they do in our hospitals, particularly as infection can mean death for some patients. Just as unsatisfactory is the fact that the figures that define infection rates literally have to be forced out of our publicly funded hospitals, through FOI requests or parliamentary questions.
The figures indicate that at least 7,670 patients were colonised by MRSA while attending hospital last year. They also indicate there were at least 1,269 reported cases of Clostridium difficile infection. According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, the reported incidence of highly dangerous blood-borne MRSA infection, a life-threatening condition, rose year on year from 553 cases in 2004 to 592 in 2005. This is despite the HSE's €3.5 million investment in better infection control procedures this year. Moreover, the latest figures are hopelessly incomplete, given that many hospitals do not test for Clostridium difficile and MRSA surveillance is patchy in some hospitals. Even worse, hospitals show outrageous cheek in refusing to report infection rates openly. Beaumont Hospital refuses point blank to provide figures. HSE head Brendan Drumm told a Dáil committee earlier this year that "to give the figure of how many people died with MRSA to the public would be almost unfair and would frighten people". Perhaps if people became aware of the figures, it would stir up sufficient furore to provoke real change in hospital practices and reduce the infection rate.
Ireland's rate of infection is just too high given the billions of taxpayers' money flowing into the health system. While overcrowding obviously works against attempts to reduce infection, there are ridiculous policy issues that also need addressing. For example, the HSE made money available to appoint an additional 52 infection control staff this year, but this was knocked on the head by a pre-existing Government ban on Civil Service recruitment, according to Prof Martin Cormican, president of the Irish Society of Clinical Microbiologists. He tells The Irish Times this morning that he and colleagues are "close to despair" over their inability to force change in the system.
It seems remarkable that we cannot overcome this problem given our understanding of these bugs and how to control them. The figures clearly indicate that infection control measures are not being taken seriously by hospital staff and management.