Whatever
Happened To...
An update on past news
Hospital sprays and seals
areas against waspsQuestion: Whatever happened to the wasp problem at Kona Community Hospital?
Answer: The wasps haven't been congregating in the hospital's operating rooms lately.
Two ultraviolet traps are expected to be installed by Monday.
The hospital had sprayed the affected areas and sealed around light fixtures and any duct work coming from the roof into the attic.
"We're hoping that we've outsmarted them," said Glenn Sparks, the hospital's assistant administrator.
The hospital had been plagued with paper wasps beginning in April, and shut down Operating Room No. 3 on Christmas Eve because of the problem.
The wasps would come and go, and were discovered living in a cluttered, 5,000-square-foot crawl space above the operating room and several other rooms. They entered the operating room through spaces around fluorescent light fixtures.
In early January, a surgeon swatted a wasp, which then landed on the forehead of a patient under anesthesia. An anesthesiologist pressed some tape on the wasp, which stung the sleeping patient.
Three weeks after spraying, a wasp showed up in Operating Room No. 1.
The hospital hired a consultant to assess the situation, who recommended respraying.
But hospital administrators decided not to respray since some people may be sensitive to sprays, Sparks said.
Operating Room No. 3 is also equipped with a battery-operated wand to zap any wasps that may show up.
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