A Ministry of Health inspection revealed fleas, overcrowding and insufficient infection control at Hutt Hospital in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, according to an article on the Stuff website.
During a routine inspection, auditors found "high risk" conditions in the hospital's maternity ward, mental health unit and children's ward and the hospital was given one month to start fixing them.
In the maternity ward, there were problems dating back to 2009 that had not been fixed. They included rips in the lino and carpet and a recurring flea problem in the birthing area.
The mental health unit was overcrowded and patients were forced to sleep in the telephone room, the lounge or in beds on the general wards.
The children's ward was so crowded it was unsafe for sick children, without enough separation between patients and no room to isolate infectious kids, the article said.
The ministry required the board to take 24 corrective actions after its audit in May last year. It was given between one and six months to address the issues.
Read the article.
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