Flinders Medical Centre Staff Hospitalized After Accidental Repellent Release

Eleven staff at a South Australian hospital have become unwell and a dozen emergency hospital beds have been closed, after the accidental release of an "outdoor insect repellent" inside the facility.

The incident occurred at Flinders Medical Centre, one of Adelaide's largest public hospitals, around 2am.

SA Health said while no patients had become unwell, "about 11" staff — all from the emergency department — had reported "serious to minor" symptoms after the mosquito repellent was accidentally released.

Chief executive Robyn Lawrence said one staff member was in a serious but stable condition and had been admitted to hospital, with two being treated in the emergency department.

By Thursday evening, SA Health said all three staff members had been discharged from the hospital.

She said ambulances were being redirected to balance the load "across the system".

Dr Lawrence said the staff who were unwell had suffered "predominantly respiratory symptoms", including difficulty breathing.

"My understanding is that it's an outdoor mosquito fogger-type repellent, like a spray, as I understand it," she said.

"Staff, as they do, were going through somebody's belongings to make sure there was nothing in there that was a safety risk to the patient when they were left alone.

"In doing that, the lid was knocked off the repellent and it released itself."

Dr Lawrence said the Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) had been on site for several hours since the "unfortunate accident".

She defended the length of time it had taken to contact them, and said it had taken "a number of hours for staff to start to report symptoms".

"The incident was felt to be under control. As staff became unwell we got concerned we needed additional support to manage the scene to make sure it was safe for staff and our patients," she said.

Twelve of the emergency department's 59 beds were closed, and Dr Lawrence said there was currently no timeline for when it would be safe to reopen them.

"[The MFS has] been assisting the staff and ensuring that the area has been cleaned appropriately and trying to determine why there are ongoing symptoms occurring in the staff," she said.

"They're doing a range of atmospheric tests of the air but also all of the surfaces and the equipment in those zones to make sure nothing's left contaminated."