New parents ask to leave St. Paul’s Hospital early over mice concerns

New parents Yasmine Semeniuk and Jonathan Ferreira welcomed their son into the world last Tuesday at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver.

The new parents told Global News that as they were enjoying their new addition and starting to figure things out, they started to spot several mice in their room.

They said the staff had told them that there had been a rodent issue and they should keep their belongings up high.

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Ferreira even went out and bought some mousetraps, but said the rodents kept reappearing.

That’s when they asked to be moved to another hospital or discharged early and they were given the green light to go home.

“You know, you think you’re going to the hospital, you’re in a sterile environment,” Semeniuk said.

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“I have open wounds, you know, we have this fresh little infant, and you’re expecting it to be clean, that is the absolute minimum. You’re expecting the space that you’re in is going to be safe, and it’s not.”

Providence Health told Global News that the incident was “unfortunate and concerning,” and it responded by bringing in a pest control team to carry out a thorough inspection of the maternity department.

It said that additional traps were deployed, potential access points are being sealed and inspections have been increased.