Several buildings at an Auckland hospital have serious rot and mould problems which pose health risks to staff and patients.
Four buildings at Middlemore Hospital in south Auckland contain "significant fungus and bacteria", according to information obtained by RNZ under the Official Information Act.
Brown rot has been found inside of the walls as well as Stachybotrys in multiple places - a notorious fungus that can cause serious illness.
There is a risk of the bacteria spreading to the insides of the walls and contaminating the air, at which point buildings would have to be evacuated.
At all four buildings, which are leaking, there is a medium to high risk that cladding could fall from the exterior due to deteriorating and decaying timber framing.
According to RNZ, the OIA shows that multi-million dollar overhauls are urgently needed due to the health risk of mould contamination.
The Kidz First hospital, Scott and McIndoe buildings, and Superclinic at Manukau are all affected.
Middlemore Hospital admits more than 91,000 patients each year and sees 354,000 outpatients. It employs close to 5,000 staff.
The hospital has been contacted for comment.
Newshub.
