Harney: 'Hospital having difficulty hiring microbiologist'

Health Minister Mary Harney has insisted that efforts are underway to hire a microbiologist at St Colmcille's Hospital in south Co Dublin.

Yesterday, a coroner called for the appointment after hearing details of 16 deaths among patients at the hospital who were infected with MRSA and Clostridium difficile.

Asked about the matter in Dublin today, Ms Harney said funding had been provided for the position and the job had been advertised on a number of occasions, but it has proved difficult to fill the post.

However, the MRSA and Families Network says the Government and the HSE are not doing enough to tackle the problem of hospital-acquired infections.

The organisation says the necessary steps for preventing infections are well known, but there is no urgency in implementing them.