Vol. 376 No. 7
asked the Minister for Health the steps he has taken to control a new strain of hospital infection which has been traced to Iraq which is displacing local infection and is responsible for serious infection, the details of which are provided by the hospital infection unit which is due to close down at the end of December 1987 leaving no screening service available to check the Dublin hospitals.
64.
asked the Minister for Health the steps he proposes to take to retain the hospital infection unit which was being grant-aided by the old medical research council over the past five years and which is due to close down at the end of December 1987.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 64 together.
The hospital infection research unit was funded for a specified period of time by the Medical Research board. This funding enabled a number of clinicians to come together to develop new molecular tools for diagnostic and epidemiological studies of bacteria causing hospital infection, prompting rapid effective therapy. This funding is due to cease at the end of December. The particular strain of M.G.R.S.A. (Methicillin and Gentamicin Resistant Steph. Aureus) referred to by the Deputy was identified and isolated in a Dublin hospital about three years ago. Isolation procedures were immediately instituted to deal with the case. I would like to reassure the Deputy that each major hospital in Dublin has a hospital infection unit which will carefully monitor the occurrence of this organism. Each unit has arrangements made and adequate facilities available, to deal with any situation that may arise.
