Hospital being targeted by drug dealers

DRUG TREATMENT agencies and politicians have called for security to be stepped up at one of the country’s biggest hospitals as it emerged that the hospital is being targeted by drug dealers and is “awash” with illicit drugs.

St James Hospital management confirmed that there was a growing problem at the hospital, saying they were taking it "very seriously" and that UV lighting had been placed in toilets to deter people from using needles.

The management said they had increased security at the Dublin hospital. But drug treatment agency, Addiction Response Crumlin (ARC) said that they should ask all visitors to the hospital who they are visiting.

Susan Collins of ARC said: "Heroin, cocaine, amphetamines, alcohol it's all there. It's not the hospital's fault. It's impossible to spot a drug dealer. It can be a man in a suit. It can be a granny or a child.

"Aren't prisons the most secure sites in the country and they're rampant with drugs? Patients are now contacting the drug dealers by mobile phone and they're dropping in," she said.

"There are pushers there who are calling to people's bedsides seeing if they need anything. It really is off the wall and very sad as hospital can be an opportunity for somebody to get clean for the first time ever.

"I know people who haven't attended appointments in hospital as they are afraid to go as they owe money."

Ms Collins said needles and other materials have also been found concealed in toilets and bushes around the hospital.

The most recent estimates have found there are around 12,500 heroin users in the Dublin area, with 7,000 on methadone treatment programmes. Drug agencies in the capital are reporting an explosion in cocaine addiction in recent years.

In a statement, St James Hospital said they were working on the problem with the gardaí and actively report suspected incidents.

"We have taken advice from the gardaí on how they can deal with the problem. For example, toilets in public areas such as the emergency department are fitted with special UV lighting to deter people from needle use.

"There is also an enhanced, highly visible security presence in areas of the hospital that are visited by people who have addiction problems. Increased lighting has been introduced in public areas such as car parks to get rid of 'dark corners'," the statement said.

Meanwhile, the Health Service Executive said that all hospitals in large urban areas can be potentially used for drug dealing but that over €3 million was provided to date for a major security upgrade of such hospitals.