Administrators were aware that cockroaches were a "persistent presence" at a veterans hospital in Illinois but failed to remove them, according to an article on the Business Insider website.

The Veterans Affairs Department's Office of Inspector General said the insects were found in and around the food service areas and even on food trays served to patients at the Edward Hines Jr. VA hospital in Hines, Ill.

The report found that the roach situation was known to hospital administrators but that they had failed to remove the bugs:"We substantiated that at least several patients received food trays with cockroaches on them. We reviewed emails from mental health staff to (nutrition and food service) managers from March 11, 2011, through December 28, 2015, and a (mental health) report dated March 13, 2014, that reported six complaints from patients that cockroaches were present on food trays delivered from the facility's main kitchen to the MH unit via a transportation cart."

Despite the reports, the administrators continued to use their existing pest control program and did not take additional action to control the problem, the article said.

Read the article.