The Saolta University Health Care Group have denied that staff at Mayo University Hospital were told to purchase their own bottled water. On Wednesday night the group issued a statement following claims by Fianna Fáil TD Lisa Chambers that staff were told to bring their own water with them after a boil water notice was put in place across ares supplied by the Lough Mask Regional Water Scheme.
The statement from the group said, “There was no instruction that any staff at Mayo University Hospital purchase their own water: MUH has temporary measures in place (bottled water ). The current dispensers are being serviced and fitted with a certified filter to eliminate the risks for patients and staff as a result of the current water problem in Mayo: this will be complete by the end of this week. The interim measure is that bottled water supplied by the hospital is available in all wards and departments for staff and patients: the notification sent to all wards and department clearly states that.”
Deputy Chamebrs in a statement issued on Wednesday afternoon said that “Staff at Mayo University Hospital are right to be annoyed by the way management have reacted to this boil water notice. Many of them work long shifts and are under immense pressure and do not have the time to be going out buying bottles of water. Water has always been available for staff consumption and this should remain the case throughout the boil notice period. What’s worse is that staff from the catering department were sent out to buy bottled water for patients and were specifically told that it was not for staff consumption. They were then told that they would have to buy their own water. This is not only an added expense; it could also pose a contamination risk for patients if bottles are being left around the hospital.”
However the group responded to this statement a few hours later denying that this was the case.
