Mandatory Reporting of all Infectious Disease Outbreaks - NOW

Tackle superbugs now, or union will set up a hotline for public to report infectious outbreaks

“The Ontario government can do more to protect patients from the threat of superbugs like C. difficile by requiring mandatory reporting of all infectious disease outbreaks at Ontario hospitals,” said Michael Hurley, the president of CUPE’s Ontario Council of Hospital Unions (CUPE/OCHU) at a Queen’s Park media conference today.

Hospital-acquired infection is the 4th leading cause of death in Canada.

Hurley said that, unless the McGuinty government begins a mandatory reporting system for hospital-acquired infections, CUPE will set up a province-wide hotline for patients, family members and hospital staff to report outbreaks of infectious diseases.