Dozens of surgeries had to be postponed or canceled in a West Los Angeles VA hospital due to an insect infestation. The hospital featured insect traps all over due to the insect infestation.
A three-month investigation included a hidden camera video taking images of the conditions of the hospital.
Insect Infestation In The Hospital
CBS2 in Los Angeles took a look at the conditions of the VA West Los Angeles Medical Center. They found that what may seem like decorative lights in the hallway of the hospital are actually fly traps called "flylights." It has found that more than 200 traps were installed because flies infested the hospital for years.
Video captured the fly traps all over the hospital, inside and outside of operating rooms, hallways, and near empty beds. Reporters questioned Christian Head, the associate director and chief of staff for quality assurance at the hospital. Head said that he already reported the issue to the VA. Head also told them that a different doctor who complained about the issue was suspended and suffered reprisal for reporting the issue.
Head also told CBS that there were times when the flies would go into the operating rooms, causing the cancellation of surgeries. They were able to obtain records from the hospital showing that the infestation goes as far back as November 2016. From November 2016 to February 2018, the operating room in the hospital was closed for 22 days. A total of 83 surgeries had to be postponed because of the infestation.
Flytraps are still present in the rooms. There are also reports stating that more flies are found in one of the labs resulting in termination of procedures.
Statement By The Department of Veterans Affairs
The Department of Veterans Affairs issued a statement regarding the fly infestation in the hospital. It says that they found zero evidence of the infestation harming humans. The VA adds that they only closed the operating rooms out of caution for human safety.
The VA also said that it is working with experts to make sure that this problem doesn't happen again. In the statement, the VA said that at this time, all of the operating rooms in the facility are open.
This isn't the first time that the VA has had to deal with a fly infestation in one of their facilities. A medical center in Manchester, New Hampshire had to abandon an operating room because of an infestation of flies. Exterminators couldn't even get rid of the flies.
