Hospital under fungus attack again

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2008/11/11

Hospital under fungus attack again

By : Sim Bak Heng

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/National/2398555/Artic

le/index_html

New Straits Times - Persekutuan,Malaysia

JOHOR BARU: Sultan Ismail Hospital, infamous for the fact that its

opening was delayed by a fungus attack, appears to have been

infected again.

A source has revealed that the fungus, said to be of the aspergillus

variety, had been spreading over the past few months.

It said the most obvious sign of the fungus was in the hospital's

canteen on the lower ground floor.

" Just look at the wall and you will know what I mean. I am worried

the spores of the fungus will be carried to the wards or operation

theatres by either visitors or medical staff. "

To check the authenticity of the claim, the NST visited the hospital

recently and found the canteen walls infected with what looked like

fungus.

Further checks at the visitor centres for both men and women, also

at the same level, showed large patches of the fungus scattered in

the rooms.

At the women's visitor centre, some of the ceiling panels were

missing while others had the greyish-coloured fungus, while at the

men's visitor centre, all ceiling panels were missing, with only the

aluminium frame left.

here were also signs of water leakage there; and the lights in the

centre were also not functioning, nor were those in the toilets and

prayer room.

T

When informed about the infection, state Women and Family

Development, Welfare and Health Committee chairman Dr Robia Kosai

said she would check on the matter.

According to a website on aspergillus, the spores of the fungus are

present in the air, but do not normally cause illness. However, a

person with a weakened immune system may be susceptible to

aspergillus infection.

Sources of increased risk of fungus attack include dirty air-

conditioning units, compost heaps and damp or flood-damaged

premises, all of which can yield higher numbers of aspergillus

spores.

The hospital that cost RM557.8 million initially started operating

in July 2004, with the opening of the outpatient department and its

haemodialysis centre.

Two months later, it was ordered closed as the infection of the

aspergillus and penicillium fungi had spread throughout the

hospital, contaminating the equipment within.

It only reopened 17 months later in February 2006.

Among the factors that may cause the infection were faulty air-

conditioning system and the existence of an open-air garden.

The hospital, the second largest in Johor after Sultanah Aminah

Hospital, has been plagued with problems since construction began in

1999.