Chief of Surgery Robert Vallis has denied cockroaches and ants have been seen in the operating rooms at King Edward VII Memorial Hospital.

Recently an operating room nurse said there were fruit flies in the operating rooms and cockroaches and termites in storage cabinets.

And a doctor claimed there were ants in both the induction and operating rooms.

Dr. Vallis said a department meeting had aired concerns that those claims made in this paper had needlessly alarmed the public.

He said: "While all of us acknowledge there are very likely to be pests in the hospital, none of us, several of whom have worked in the hospital for many years, have ever seen roaches or ants in the operating room.

"At no time has there been an expression of concern for the safety of our patients because of pests."

However he conceded there were problems with the air conditioning after one doctor complained of staff working in 80-plus degree heat.

Dr. Vallis said: "With regard to air conditioning failures, we recognise that problems do occur and on occasion we have to work in less than comfortable surroundings.

"But again, we do not feel that patient safety is compromised."

The anonymous claims in the paper had damaged the hospital said Dr. Vallis who said staff should air problems internally rather than damage the reputation of the Island's only medical hospital.

"We would like to take this opportunity to reassure our patients that, although we have challenges, we have confidence in and are justly proud of our modern operating suite.

"Indeed, many of our families and us have elected to have surgery performed in our facility."