Pierre, a patient whose immune system has been weakened by medication was placed in an unclean room at the Montreal General Hospital.

His wife Anne-Marie Vinot told La Presse that she noticed brown splatters on the sides of her partner’s bed, spots of dried blood on the table on which the meal trays were placed, dust in the air ducts, sticky spots and dirt on the floor.

According to Ms. Vinot when she informed hospital staff of the situation she was told no one was available to do the cleaning.

“On Wednesday night, I spent 45 minutes cleaning the sides of the bed because no one was available to clean up at that time. I cleaned his bed myself. I put on a glove and rubbed, rubbed, rubbed, ” said Ms. Vinot.

The McGill University Health Center (MUHC) responded in an email to journalist, Émilie Bilodeau that the number of the Housekeeping staff at the Montreal General Hospital respects the ministry standard and is sufficient.

Hubert Forcier, information advisor to the CSN Health and Social Services Federation, said that Housekeeping employees have been the most affected by cuts to hospitals. “It’s clear that there is a lack of Housekeeping staff everywhere in hospitals.”

Immunosuppression, is the suppression of the body’s innate ability to ward off disease and infection, staff are required to wear personal protective equipment to protect the patient.

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