A LITTLE COMMON SENSE CAN SAVE LIVES

I was shocked to learn today that hospitals and seniors care facilities have been ignoring warnings from Health Canada about the listeria risks associated with deli meats and the potential impact on at risk patients.

It appears that a 2005 warning from Health Canada warns that pregnant women, elderly people and those with immune systems weakened from cancer, HIV, AIDS, diabetes or alcoholism are at particular risk for listeriosis, and should not eat deli meats.

Yet hospitals and institutions have continued to serve deli meats. Most of the now 12 confirmed and 6 suspected deaths related to Maple Leaf deli meats were consumed in places like nursing homes.

Apparently hospitals fall into the bureaucratic realm of individual provinces and because Health Canada has never recommended health facilities stop serving deli meats they remain on the menu in most hospitals and seniors homes across Canada.

Officials from across Canada are meeting to discuss how best to deal with the threat posed to the at risk individuals. Seriously, what is there to discuss? When it doubt leave it out? Why take any chances at all. Are deli meats essential foods for hospitals and seniors homes? Hardly! Why than did it take a body count to make health care providers take Health Canada three year old warnings seriously? Get the meats out of health institutions, it should have been done some time ago.