A strange phenomenon panics the American press. A Massachusetts hospital has just detected a benign brain tumor in one of its nurses. Problem: this is now the sixth member of the establishment’s hospital staff to receive this diagnosis, in the space of just a few weeks.
The six caregivers all concerned in the maternity unit on the fifth floor of the Newton-Welsley hospital, affiliated with the Mass General Brigham group and located in the city of Newton (east of Massachusetts), reports the American online media Gizmodo. An investigation had been launched internally after the first cases. But since then, the revelations have been linked. The latest was made public on Monday, April 14.
The first track mentioned was that of an environmental exposure to carcinogenic substances, such as toxins present in drinking water, which could have caused such a grouping of cases. But this hypothesis was dismissed by the internal report of the Occupation Health and Safety (OHS), the organization of occupational health and safety attached to the hospital. For the time being, no environmental risk source has been identified.
Mistrust and union investigation
For the affected staff, these conclusions are far from reassuring. Many suspect that other diseases identified by their colleagues could also be linked to working conditions. Mistrust settles down and the unions were called to the rescue.
The Massachusetts Nurses Association (MNA), a union representing nurses, has decided to launch its own independent investigation. He calls into question the reliability of the internal investigation carried out by the Newton-Wellesley hospital, which could have every interest in not discovering a structural health problem within its walls.
The conclusions of the union survey are expected by the end of April. In the meantime, the concern is palpable in the corridors of Newton-Welsley. In caregivers on the fifth floor, but also among patients, who come to the hospital to heal, not to come out with a tumor.
