A Kerry hospital has been found to have one of the lowest rates of hospital-acquired infections in the country.
That's according to a report from the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, published in today's Irish Independent.
The report looked at patients who caught potentially serious infections in hospitals and medical facilities around the country.
The Bon Secours in Tralee, along with the Bon Secours in Limerick and the Mater Private in Cork, had the lowest levels of hospital acquired infections.
However, University Hospital Kerry had a hospital-acquired infection prevalence of 9.5 percent.
When asked for comment, a representative from UHK stated that "the prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections(HCAIs) is an ongoing challenge across all healthcare settings. At University Hospital Kerry (UHK), management and staff engage in a multidimensional approach and infection management strategies are deployed and implemented to combat these challenges."
The report shows that nearly 1,000 people are suffering from a bug or virus on the wards at any time.
A significant number of infections were picked up in hospitals where the patient was being treated, but other patients brought the virus or bug with them from another hospital or nursing home.
Bantry Hospital in Cork topped the table with a hospital-acquired infection prevalence of 26.1pc.
Several very busy hospitals had low prevalence including Portlaoise Hospital at one percent, while Temple Street Children’s Hospital has 2.2pc
The survey showed patients who were treated for other illnesses also contracted pneumonia, urinary tract infections and surgical site infections, including E-Coli and MRSA.
Covid-19 accounted for eight percent of infections.
