Mousetraps set at Victoria care dwelling to deal with rodents within the constructing – BC Information

Cindy E. Harnett / Times Colonist – 01/21/2023 / 07:40 am | History: 407510

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Island Health says the safety of staff and patients at Gorge Road Hospital is uncompromised. Darren Stone, Times colonist

Nearly 200 mousetraps have been placed around the Gorge Road Hospital acute and long-term care facility as the facility attempts to address an ongoing rodent problem.

Island Health says it can’t quantify the extent of the problem, and while there aren’t an acceptable level of mice in a healthcare facility, the health agency says staff and patient safety aren’t being compromised.

No one from Island Health was available for an interview.

The Gorge Road Hospital, which originally opened in 1953, currently has 111 publicly funded beds and provides long-term care services on the two lower floors of the four-story building – the Water View Unit and the Arbutus View Unit.

Bridgeview on the third floor provides transitional care for patients awaiting long-term care, while Skyview on the fourth floor is a low-intensity rehabilitation unit for patients from Royal Jubilee, Victoria General, Saanich Peninsula and Cowichan District Hospital.

Staffers who have asked not to be named for fear of reprisals say they have not seen a similar infestation at other health facilities where they have worked and consider the situation “outrageous”.

They say a pest control agency has been involved with the facility for years, and “you occasionally see mice running around on the floor, in patient rooms, in the staff room, and audible in the walls.”

Titto Jose, manager of restorative health at Gorge Road Hospital for Island Health, told staff, including doctors, nurses and administrators, in a Jan. 13 email obtained by the Times Colonist that he had “several emails received from employees about mice on site”.

“There are currently approximately 180 traps on the site,” Jose wrote. “More traps will be added next week.”

Pest control company Terminix will service the site two days a week, he said.

At the same time, the housekeeping service, the department in charge of pest control, is “trying to get the on-site electronic sound system to control mice,” Jose wrote.

Typically, ultrasonic pest repellers — an electronic device that plugs into an outlet or runs on batteries — emit a high-pitched tone or high-frequency vibrations that can discourage, kill, or incapacitate pests, including mice. The noise should not be perceptible to human ears.

The email to staff said that infection prevention and control officers are overseeing patient safety, occupational safety and health officers are overseeing staff safety, and staff unions are in touch with administrators on progress made.

“The safety of everyone on site is a high priority and we are using every tool in our arsenal to address this issue,” wrote Jose. “[We] I really appreciate your patience, support and understanding to get through this situation.”

Last week, in a recommendation, administrators reminded staff to ensure leftover food is removed from patients’ rooms and that dates, times and locations of feces seen are recorded in detail so that traps can be set.

Island Health said in a statement that after receiving complaints about mice in the Gorge Road last week, the health agency asked pest control companies to investigate and restrict rodent access to the building and to inspect and seal all exterior and interior entry points .

It said gaps around plumbing in patient rooms will be sealed this week and cleaning of areas where food is stored will be improved.

Monitoring and follow-up will continue as needed, the health agency said.