PORTLAND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- The testing of patients continues in New Hampshire where health officials are trying to determine if more people were exposed to Hepatitis C. So far 32 people have been infected with virus.
The testing comes after a former medical technician at Exeter hospital was charged with spreading the infection with contaminated syringes.
In the aftermath of the outbreak some people what to know what hospitals here in Maine doing to protect patients.
Federal regulators just last week said officials at Exeter Hospital did not properly security narcotics used at the facility. Officials at Maine's largest hospital, Maine Medical Center say security procedures over drugs and infectious diseases are something they take so seriously, they review them nearly every day.
All potential employees at Maine Med undergo a mandatory drug test and nationwide background check. All of the hospital's managers are trained to detect employee behavior that is suspicious, while employees are encouraged to report suspicious activities as well. All of the drugs that are given to patients, whether it's an aspirin or a narcotic like oxycontin are locked up and stored in a medication cart.
The cart includes a finger print scan and a password. The hospitals also uses a special computer program that tracks how often medication is dispensed and who is dispensing it. Officials say the Hep C outbreak in New Hampshire helps raises awareness among hospital employees that the key to preventing an outbreak is to catch before it happens.
The hospital also undergoes a very throrough inspection by federal regulators every three years.
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