As an environmental lawyer, I know that toxins in the air and water can make people ill. And when they become ill, they often need to go to the hospital. Hospitals are where people go in sick and come out healthy, Right? The answer is: not always.

I was surprised by a recent series appearing in the Chicago Tribune relating to dirty hospital practices. The first article appeared on July 21, 2002 entitled "Infection Epidemic Carves Deadly Path." That article was written by Michael J. Berens and is must reading for anyone concerned about health care (who is not?).

We are informed by Mr. Berens that approximately 75 thousand persons die each year as a result of another kind of toxic exposure, exposure to germs resulting from unsanitary hospital practices. People who go to the hospital because they are sick are dying not because of their illness, but because the hospital has allegedly made them sicker -- according to an award winning investigation by the paper.

Unsanitary facilities and instruments and poor hand washing are largely to blame.. I will quote what the paper says about a finding from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: " Deaths linked to hospital germs represent the fourth leading cause of mortality among Americans, behind heart disease, cancer and strokes. These infections kill more people each year than car accidents, fires and drowning combined."

THE FOURTH LEADING CAUSE OF MORTALITY - because these health care professionals can't wash their hands!! People should be going to jail over this.

The article then cites specific references to people throughout the country that have apparently died because they acquired hospital based infections. Regional outbreaks have developed because of these problems. Again, 75 thousand needless deaths.

I am convinced that you will find this information to be as shocking as I did. How much worse can our hospitals be than this? People go to hospitals to become well, not die. And its one thing to die of a bad illness or heaven forbid, an accident. But because someone did not wash their hands? That is no accident. That is murder.

Hand washing is not that complicated. What is wrong with our hospitals? We are supposed to have the most advanced health care in the world, and these people aren't washing their hands. But isn't it obvious that hospitals must be clean. I would say that you don't have to be a "brain surgeon" to know this, but apparently, they don't.

I always tell home buyers to evaluate local environmental hazards before making a home purchase decision. You don't want to live close to a polluting factory or a poorly managed landfill. I think you need to take a look at hospital care choices as well.. Are the nearby health care facilities clean? Have any illness outbreaks been linked to poor sanitary practices.

How sad that we even need to ask.

The information provided in this column is written by Stuart Lieberman,a practicing environmental attorney, and is for general information purposes only. It is not legal advice and should not be used in place of legal advice.

Stuart Lieberman, Esq., and IRED.Com, Inc., will not accept any responsibilty for any reliance on the information in this column or any damages whatsoever resulting from reading this column.