A DECONTAMINATION machine that cost £95,000 punts (€120,000), when purchased by the HSE in Limerick eight years ago, remains unused.
It has been claimed that other machines and appliances purchased at the time, have similarly never been put into operation.
Cllr Jim Long told the Limerick Post that he had been monitoring the situation for the last two months, when first alerted, and has made contact with the HSE.
According to reliable sources, staff members who received training on the machine, located at St Joseph’s Hospital, have not been requested to use it
The work was outsourced to two companies, one in county Cork, and later to a company in county Clare.
The Limerick Post has learned that similar decontamination machines purchased at the time, were deployed to and put into operation in hospitals in Nenagh, Ennis and Newcastle West.
“There is also a standing forklift that cost €7,500, and was found to be unsuitable. It’s thrown out in the yard for the past five years, and instead of the specialised van that is based in St Joseph’s being used for the delivery of equipment to St Ita’s in Newcastle West, it is being done so in an ordinary transit van”.
It has been further claimed that work previously carried out by staff is being outsourced.
It is also alleged that staff have been requested to collect used beds, mattresses and other equipment, (generally provided for terminally or very ill patients) in a van that also contains new items of patient care equipment ready for delivery.
This is a cause of concern to some staff who say that with a strong possibility of the used items being contaminated, this could result in cross-contamination.
“Staff, such as occupational therapists, frequently carry decontaminated equipment to clients in their own cars; here we have a state-of-the-art decontamination machine lying unused at the taxpayer’s expense. while the work, which could be given to staff, has been contracted out to a company”.
When contacted, Cllr Jim Long said the issues were brought to his attention two months ago.
“I’ve been monitoring it ever since – we have to question the misuse of taxpayers money.
A minimal amount of decontamination work carried out at St Joseph’s Hospital by staff is done by steam hoovers.
“The policy of this operation has to be questioned,” added the councillor.
Efforts to contact the HSE this Wednesday were unsuccessful.