Letter details bedbug problem at Charlotte dialysis center

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Patients at a dialysis center in north Charlotte said their treatments are becoming more difficult because of a bedbug problem.

Fresenius Medical Care officials sent patients home with a letter this week telling them that staff members have found bedbugs on several patients.

For the past month, patients of the medical care building have reported finding bedbugs in their homes and on their bodies. But a letter sent to patients said the bugs have not been found inside the facility and they are working to prevent that from happening.

Patients who come to the facility for dialysis said bedbugs have been pestering them for weeks.

Shanolia Crank just found out about the problem this week when she took her sister in for treatment.

“She usually takes a blanket. She was told not to bring her blanket because they had bedbugs,” Crank said.

“I don’t know who has the bugs and who’s bringing them in,” said Chuck Garris, a patient at the facility.

The letter from the facility states pest control experts “have gone over the facility specifically looking for bedbugs and, to this date, not one has been found in the clinic.”

However, the two-page letter also states that “staff have found presence of bedbugs on several patients,” adding they also noticed bed bugs in their homes, on their belongings and on their bodies.

“I was terrified. My sister has a lot of issues right now with her health and I’m terrified with bedbugs,” Crank said.

She said the problem is making her sister’s dialysis treatment tough because she cannot take extra clothing to keep warm.

“They protecting us by putting all our things in a bag,” Crank said.

The manager said they have an action plan in place. They have heat-treated chairs and sprayed throughout the facility to prevent the spread of the bugs.

The state Department of Health and Human Services could not say whether it was aware of the problem, but said it does conduct surprise inspections at facilities if there are complaints.

So far, no one has filed a complaint with Fresenius Medical Care.

WSOC