The appointment of a named individual specifically charged with eradicating MRSA is the only way the "superbug" will be stamped out, an Oireachtas Committee was told yesterday.
The MRSA and Families Network, which was founded last year to support hundreds of families affected by the issue, was addressing the joint Committee on Health and Children.
One of its founders, Margaret Dawson, whose husband Joe contracted MRSA at a Dublin hospital, said that despite two hygiene audits of the State's hospitals and a clean-hands campaign MRSA was becoming more prevalent.
"We now have eight branches of MRSA and Families established around the country and we are getting more and more calls."
She said the national executive of the organisation last month travelled to Cardiff to meet Dr Ian Hosein, a consultant microbiologist and chief executive of the Cardiff and Vale Health Trust.
Dr Hosein, a Trinity College graduate who is charged with tackling MRSA infections in the trust's nine hospitals, has achieved a reduction in the infection of 60 per cent.
A spokesman for MRSA and Families said since the organisation had appeared before the committee last November, nothing had changed.
"We came in here a year ago and a year on there have been many more deaths. Sadly, MRSA is in every hospital in this country. We have people calling us from all over the country looking for our help and support. We have members now in Galway, Tralee, Enniscorthy, Donegal - you name it."
He said a year ago Families brought to the committee a strategy for tackling MRSA. The strategy included national guidelines for hospitals and mandatory reporting of all MRSA infections to a national director of an MRSA strategy. None has been acted on.
"We need someone of the calibre of Dr Hosein." Such a move would "overnight create a sense of real change".
He said isolated initiatives such as the clean-hands campaign, while well-meaning, would have little impact.
"It wouldn't take rocket science to do this. Why won't they do it? Will you ask Minister [ Mary] Harney and Professor [ Brendan] Drumm to appoint a national director? If you still won't listen to us what is this all about? Our approach so far is fragmented, unco-ordinated and lacks leadership."
He said the approach seemed to be overshadowed by "medico-politico interests". Another member of the network said a culture of secrecy surrounded the issue of MRSA.
