An Arizona family is speaking out after claiming to find bed bugs in their daughter’s hospital room. Erin Ortega, whose daughter is being treated at Banner Desert Hospital in Mesa, said she and her wife allegedly spotted a bed bug on hospital-provided bedding on Monday night.
She claims she alerted hospital staff, who allegedly moved the family to another room for staffing purposes, Fox 10 reported.
“Sure enough, there was another bed bug on the floor behind the recliner, as well as a dead one that was stuck to the chair,” Ortega told Fox 10.
In a statement to the news station on Tuesday, the hospital said it immediately responds to any concerns raised by patients.
“We are responsive to any concerns expressed by our patients,” the statement read. “We take immediate action to remedy isolated incidents as soon as we are notified.”
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But Ortega, who said her daughter has been receiving exceptional care at the facility, said she’s concerned other patients are unaware of the situation.
“We see family coming and going out of there still carrying bags, still carrying their sweaters, things like that, and it doesn’t seem that there’s much of a concern for their well-being,” she told the news outlet.
Bed bugs are not known to spread diseases, but they can cause itching and loss of sleep. A bed bug bite could also trigger an allergic reaction and require medical attention, according to the CDC.
Ortega, who has other children at home, said she and her wife have not been able to stay with their daughter over concerns about the bed bugs and the risk of bringing them home. She also said they are considering transferring their daughter to another facility.