Qld: War veteran's ears chewed by mice

AAP General News (Australia)
04-30-2009
Qld: War veteran's ears chewed by mice

By Petrina Berry and Angela Harper

BRISBANE, April 30 AAP - A bedridden war veteran was found on Anzac Day with bloody
ears, hands, face and neck after being "severely chewed" by swarming mice at a southwest
Queensland nursing home.

Queensland Health Minister and Deputy Premier Paul Lucas said although the Darling
Downs was experiencing a mice plague the incident was unacceptable.

"I would like to apologise that this incident took place," Mr Lucas told reporters.

Opposition MP Ray Hopper said Queensland Health had been slow to respond to a mice
plague at the Dalby Hospital, which includes a nursing home, leading to the attack on
the 89-year-old man.

The man's daughter said staff found her father bleeding from bites to his head, neck,
ears and hands on Anzac Day, Mr Hopper said.

"The top of his ears were severely chewed and he had bites to his head and neck," Mr
Hopper told AAP.

"His hands were covered in blood because he was trying to get the mice off him.

"We are talking about a health facility overrun by vermin. It's atrocious."

Mr Hopper said the man was so distressed that doctors had put him on morphine to calm him down.

"Here we have a man who has served his country and this is the thanks he gets," he said.

Mr Hopper said it was normal to see an increase in mice in Dalby and the Darling Downs
at the onset of winter, and the problem was usually handled with chemical sprays.

"But the bureaucrats said no sprays this year because it uses agricultural chemicals,
and that's not allowed to happen at a health facility," he said.

"They are now baiting twice a day but it's too late."

Mr Lucas said baiting would not stop a plague and said the Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) may have had good reason not to lay baits before now.

"The EPA have rules for very good reasons. It may be that a child picks up a whole
lot of mouse bait that could affect them seriously," he said.

Queensland Health had contacted the families of other residents and offered them an
alternative location until the situation improved, but those offers had not been taken
up, Mr Lucas said.

AAP ahe/jl

KEYWORD: MOUSE WRAP

2009 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.