Dialysis treatment room 'filthy,' Halifax patient says

A man who depends on Capital Health's Victoria General Hospital for treatment is speaking out about the cleaning standards.

Thompson Rahr goes for dialysis treatment about four times a week.

He said at times, his room is filthy.

"I found it more common to find things like blood left over on the floor, even on the scale we have to get on before and after treatment," he said.

Rahr is so frustrated, he used his cellphone to document blood on the floors and walls.

He said he also found mould on the bed he sits on during treatment.

"I felt as though it was important not only to protect my own healthcare, but also those who I share that dialysis unit with."

Cynthia Stockman, the manager for outpatient nephrology with Capital Health, said they are addressing Rahr's concerns.

"Anytime you deal with bodily fluids, there is a risk they're going to end up on external surfaces, and that's why we do thorough cleaning between patients, and housekeeping comes in every night and does a thorough cleaning of our unit," she said.

Stockman said they are testing the mattress that Rahr claims was mouldy.

"We have a mattress that has a black like substance on it and we immediately called infection control to assess the situation," she said.

Rahr says they need to do more to minimize the risk of infection.

"That environment should be one that's acceptable to spend the rest of your life in," he said.

Capital Health denied CBC's request to take video cameras into the unit. The health authority said it was a matter of patient privacy.