HONG KONG - Bugs have forced the removal of 71 wooden cabinets in a Hong Kong hospital. The hospital called upon Hong Kong's Architectural Services Department to carry out a comprehensive investigation.

 

On August 11, Tin Shui Wai Hospital (TSWH) received notice from ArchSD that the removal of the 71 infested wooden cabinets was complete. ArchSD's findings revealed that the cabinets came from a construction site that wasn't thoroughly dry and enclosed. ArchSD will reinstall concerned cabinets and inspect the construction environment to avoid recurrence. Mitigation measures including pest control and deep cleaning have also been carried out by TSWH. TSWH and ArchSD will take appropriate actions to follow up on 394 non-affected wooden floor cabinets. 

 

The bugs were identified to be Dienerella costulata, also known as brown scavenger beetles. Brown scavenger beetles are not known to carry diseases that affect humans, but have been known to trigger respiratory allergies. They're a common insect pest and thrive in moist environments.

 

In February, the first bug was found in a TSWH cabinet. It was removed by ArchSD. In March, bugs were found in another cabinet. ArchSD carried out a visual inspection of all cabinets, and no more bugs were found. 

 

Finally in May, upon further reports, ArchSD and TSWH agreed to step up inspection of all of the hospital's cabinets. ArchSD cut out a section of wood from every cabinet for observation. It found 71 cabinets were infested.