All major orthopaedic surgery at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan has been postponed, following the detection of a contagious bug in the hospital.
The suspension of surgery follows a positive case of VRE (Vancomycin Resistant Enterococcus) on a patient in the hospital.
The bug is an antibiotic resistant infection. It is normally found in the bowel and can spread to other parts of the body causing infection. It cannot be spread by coughing or sneezing, but can be spread by hand.
Fifty-two people in the Navan hospital have had their surgery cancelled since the outbreak was first detected.
The North Eastern Health Board (NEHB) today issued a statement, despite having postponed all elective orthopaedic surgery since July 29th, over two-and-a-half weeks ago.
All orthopaedic admissions have since been postponed to prevent the spread of the infection.
The NEHB apologised for the inconvenience caused to patients. A spokesperson said the decision was taken in the interest of best practice and patient safety.
Our Lady's Hospital in Navan is one of the largest hospitals in the North East and is the main orthopaedic treatment centre in the region.