The latest allegation of roaches and rats in the kitchen at the James A. Haley Veteran Affairs Hospital in Tampa has Florida senator and veteran Bill Nelson shaking his head.
“I mean this is ridiculous," said Senator Nelson.
An internal email from earlier this week mentioned three large rats falling through the ceiling during construction work and a major roach problem to the point where some may have ended up on patient's trays.
Senator Nelson said this morning was the first he’d heard of the incident and he wants it to be solved.
James A. Haley VA Hospital spokeswoman Karen Collins released a statement noting that there has been an uptick recently, but the hospital is “keenly aware” of any pest control issues and continually monitors it:
“We have established a multidisciplinary enviro-team (consisting of safety, infection control, environmental management and other services) that responds if a potential safety or environmental risk is reported. Recently, we observed an uptick in reported pest related activities, whether due to construction on the adjacent property or for other reasons, and have developed an aggressive and pro-active plan to address it, including awarding a new five-year pest control contract focused on the canteen and food preparation areas. If an issue is identified, the pest control team responds to eliminate it and the environmental team will terminally clean the area in question. We remain diligent in our efforts because this will always be a battle to be fought based on our environment and location.”