Second closure order on Navan Hospital in less than month

A kitchenette at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan was closed down by the Food Safety Authority in January, the second time in less than a month that the hospital was the subject of a closure order.

The latest closure order was issued against the hospital on 2nd January following reports of a mouse having been caught in a trap, rodent droppings found behind kitchen equipment and inadequate pest control proofings on external drains.

The order applied to the kitchenette at the Medical Assessment Unit and the Female Medical Unit. The order was lifted on 5th January.

The hospital had earlier been served a closure order for the kitchen at the Male Medical Ward on 10th December, due to rodent activity and reports of rodent droppings and a dead rodent found in the area.

That order was lifted on 15th December.

A spokesperson for the Ireland East Hospital Group confirmed that Our Lady’s Hospital Navan discovered small rodent activity in January.

"The hospital immediately implemented its environmental safety protocol which ensures that all staff were fully briefed, and no patients were placed at risk.

"Funding has been made available to the hospital by HSE Estates to complete drainage works and other proofing works on the campus and we hope that this work will be completed shortly.

"The hospital is working closely with its contracted pest control company to insure proactive management of the entire campus.  

"We do apologise to all staff and patients for any concern this has caused and would like to re-assure the public that we are working to ensure that the hospital stays free of further rodent activity."