NDP Health Critic and Nickel Belt MPP France Gélinas is once again raising concerns about cuts to housekeeping services at hospitals across the province and what that means for infection control during the H1N1 outbreak.

Today during Question Period, Gélinas focussed on what’s happened at Toronto’s Mount Sinai Hospital.

“(Hospital worker) Juan Vasquez was at Queen’s Park two weeks ago when I asked the premier about cuts to Mount Sinai’s housekeeping staff,” Gélinas said.

“Lo and behold, less than two weeks later, Juan is back after Mount Sinai became the first hospital in Ontario to report an H1N1 outbreak.”

Vasquez, a frontline worker at Mount Sinai, is sounding the alarm that his hospital is failing in the fight against infections and is not prepared for H1N1. Recently, the hospital cut 14 staff members who were specifically responsible for housekeeping and sanitation.

“Even now, after the H1N1 outbreak, they have not brought back the sanitation staff and this could make things worse. I lived through SARS and I don’t want the H1N1 outbreak to get any worse than it is already,” said Vasquez.

“Today, 61 out of Ontario’s 159 hospitals are in deficit and are looking at cuts. Unfortunately one of the first services to be cut – as we have seen at Mount Sinai – is housekeeping. These are the staff members who keep commonly touched surfaces clean and disinfected as recommended to fight H1N1,” said Gélinas.

“Last September the Auditor General produced a report on hospital acquired infections detailing serious concerns over hospital housekeeping and cleanliness. In light of our experiences with SARS and the Auditor General’s warning, why is hospital cleanliness not a priority of the McGuinty government?” she asked.