The Chalmers hospital in Fredericton will be putting Bibles back in its bedside tables, but they'll be wrapped in plastic to prevent them from transmitting nasty germs between patients.

The hospital stepped into a public relations nightmare last month when it removed the Bibles in the name of infection control.

The Chalmers hospital in Fredericton
The Chalmers hospital in Fredericton

Critics said the move was either anti-Christian or a case of political correctness taken to the extreme.

Hospital spokesperson Shelley Fletcher says it was neither – though she admits it was a mistake to just round up the bedside Bibles without making arrangements for patients to get "clean" copies.

"There was a premature collection of those Bibles before we could identify if there were any options that would improve access to the Bible beyond asking for one," Fletcher said.

Bible bags coming soon
Bible bags coming soon

"We did let people know we were looking into this, but at that point in time we didn't know whether or not we would have a solution that would allow us to put it back on the bedside tables or not."

The solution, it turns out, is a germ-proof plastic bag.

Anyone who opens the bag will be asked to take the Bible home with them when they are discharged.

Rev. Karl Csaszar was one of those who were horrified by the sudden removal of the Good Books last month. But he has no complaints about the Bible-in-the-bag idea.

"We're elated that they put the Bibles back in easy access of the patients," he said.

"Patients need comfort at times when they are not feeling well physically. It's common knowledge the Bible gives them spiritual comfort at a time when perhaps they need it the most."

Or, as Fredericton Mayor Brad Woodside put it when the story broke last month: when someone has been given a few weeks to live, they're going to want something inspirational to read and it's not going to be Better Homes and Gardens.

Fletcher says the Bibles will be back at the bedsides at the Chalmers hospital within two weeks.

She also says other hospitals in Canada have made inquiries about the new policy and they, too, might start wrapping their bedside Bibles in plastic.

Aside from controversy over the Bible issue, Fletcher says there's universal agreement that health-care facilities need to do more to control the spread of infection.