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The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for Tung Wah Eastern Hospital (TWEH) made the following announcement today (December 5):
A 74-year-old patient in a male geriatric ward of TWEH was confirmed to be a Vancomycin Resistant Enterococci (VRE) carrier on November 21. In accordance with the prevailing infection control guidelines, the hospital has screened other patients who had contact with the index case and confirmed six more patients (aged 68 to 86) to be VRE carriers without clinical symptoms. One of the patients passed away on November 22 due to his underlying illness and two patients have already been discharged. The other patients are still hospitalised under isolation and medical surveillance with stable condition.
The ward has ceased admission. The Infection Control Team, the departments concerned and experts of the Centre for Health Protection (CHP) have discussed and decided to adopt the following enhanced infection control measures in the ward:
1. Strongly encouraging patients to perform hand hygiene;
2. Enhancing hand hygiene of staff;
3. Applying stringent contact precautions, including dedicated use of clinical items to VRE carriers; and
4. Enhancing environmental and equipment decontamination.
The cases have been reported to the Hospital Authority Head Office and the CHP for necessary follow-up.
Ends/Friday, December 5, 2014
Issued at HKT 19:14
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