Snakes discovered beneath patients’ beds at hospital in southern Spain

Patients and staff at a hospital in southern Spain have been left shaken after a snake was found beneath a patient’s bed, with the discovery reportedly marking the second time a reptile has turned up inside the building in just weeks.  The latest incident happened at the Hospital Alto Guadalquivir in Andújar, Jaén, during the past weekend. A member of staff noticed the reptile in the hospital’s inpatient area and raised the alarm.

The snake was underneath a patient’s bed, where it had curled itself around the motor used to raise and lower the mattress. Hospital staff alerted the relevant services, and the animal was subsequently removed. For the person occupying the bed and their relatives, the discovery was particularly unsettling. The snake was not outside in the hospital grounds or somewhere away from patients. It had made its way into an occupied hospital room and ended up underneath a bed. The incident also raised an uncomfortable issue for hospital staff because a similar discovery had reportedly taken place only around two weeks earlier.

Second snake found inside the hospital

According to information from union and healthcare sources, another snake had already been found inside the hospital. That earlier incident was dealt with by security personnel, although relatives and union representatives said no specific protocol was activated at the time. The second discovery resulted in a more extensive response.

The Seprona environmental unit of the Guardia Civil was called in and examined the area to establish where the reptile could have come from. One of the areas being considered is the hospital’s patios and surrounding outdoor spaces, where snakes and other reptiles are known to be present. Investigators are looking at whether the animals could be entering the building from these areas and eventually reaching patient rooms. 

The presence of snakes around Andújar itself is not unusual. The town is surrounded by countryside, providing suitable habitat for reptiles, Finding one beneath a hospital bed is a very different matter.

Snake was not dangerous

There is some reassurance for patients following the latest discovery, the species found inside the hospital was examined by Seprona and confirmed not to be dangerous. There have also been no reports of anyone being bitten or otherwise injured during either incident. 

The Junta de Andalucía’s health and environmental authorities have been in contact with the hospital’s management while the circumstances are examined. The authorities have described the latest episode as a specific incident that has already been resolved. Measures are also being considered to prevent reptiles from gaining access to the hospital again. For patients and their families, however, the fact that nobody was injured does not necessarily make the experience less disturbing.

A hospital is somewhere people go because they need medical care. Many patients are confined to their beds, recovering from illness, undergoing treatment or simply unable to move around easily. Discovering a snake underneath one of those beds is therefore likely to be considerably more frightening than finding one outdoors.

How did it get inside?

The investigation is now focused on the route taken by the reptile, the inspection of the hospital’s patios is intended to establish whether snakes living around the building have a way of getting indoors. The latest animal was found in a particularly concealed position. Rather than simply moving across the floor, it had ended up around the mechanical equipment beneath the bed.

That raises the possibility that a snake could remain hidden without immediately being noticed by patients or staff. The hospital has not reported any interruption to patient care as a result of the discovery. Nevertheless, the second incident in such a short period has put attention on the need to prevent another reptile from reaching the inpatient area.

For families visiting relatives, the episode has also prompted questions about how the animals are getting into the building and what can be done to stop it happening again. The immediate danger may have been limited by the fact that the snake was not a dangerous species. But for the patient whose bed it was hiding beneath, that distinction would have offered little comfort when the reptile was first spotted. Now, after two reported incidents within weeks, patients and staff will want to know whether the latest discovery really was an isolated event, or whether the hospital has a recurring problem that needs to be addressed