One huge pest: A pest-control staff picking up a dead rat from a bait station on the corridor of Ward 7A at the Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang.
MORE than 200 rats have been caught so far from wards at the Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah in Klang.
A pest control company was appointed two weeks ago following StarMetro’s report on April 8 that wards at the hospital were infested with rats and a patient had been bitten by a rodent.
G. Meganathan, 34, said he was bitten by a rat while being treated at Ward 8B and lodged a report at the Pandamaran police station on April 5.
It was reported on April 14 that the main canteen in the hospital had been ordered to cease operations for 14 days after it was found to be dirty and a potential rat-breeding area.
Checks by StarMetro revealed that stickers warning staff and the public of the presence of rat traps with poisonous substances were placed in corridors, ceilings and walls.
Redicare (M) Sdn Bhd, which is responsible for providing maintenance, disposal of clinical waste and cleaning services at the hospital, hired Termy Tech for the job.
Termy Tech chief executive officer N. Alagan said the company had introduced three methods to catch the rodents and all three had proved to be effective.
“We have bait stations to trap rodents placed at the corridors, and glue boards to trap rats moving about in the roof.
“The third method is unique as we use a device called ‘electrical free pest’ to scare away the rodents.
“The device is linked to all the wirings and can cover up to 3,000sq ft by sending out electrical waves that will scare away rats from a particular area,” he said, adding that the device, which was commonly used in hospitals abroad, would not cause any harm to humans.
Alagan said they had installed some 30 pest-free devices, 70 bait stations and 220 glue boards.
He said the glue boards would be regularly replaced as they were also meant to catch lizards and cockroaches.
“We have four employees checking on the rat situation and the result has been positive so far.
“The bait stations and glue boards are successful in trapping rodents and I believe the pest-free devices have also been effective in chasing them away,” he said.
A hospital source said Redicare had also hired a pest control company in the past.
He said rat poison was used to keep the rat problem in check.
“The company used poison to tackle the problem externally,” he said.
Redicare, he said, had also hired a contractor to carry out fogging as part of its pest control exercise.
“The hospital looks much cleaner now and hopefully, the cleanliness and hygiene level will improve further,” he said.
Besides that, Redicare had also submitted a working paper to the hospital, Selangor Health Department and the Health Ministry on the need for the hospital, relevant agencies and the public to play their role to help maintain a clean and hygienic environment.
In the paper, Redicare highlighted the lack of maintenance by the Klang Municipal Council had caused flooding inside the hospital compound.
The company had also sought the hospital authority’s help to ensure that its staff observe good hygiene practices.
