Every year more than 8,000 Canadians die after catching deadly infections while receiving care in hospitals, and experts say many of these deaths are preventable.

Paul Webber lost his father-in-law to infections he believes were accidentally contracted through health care workers.

"It made us very angry because I knew it was a hospital-acquired infection that caused him to die," he told CTV News.

A 2003 study published in the American Journal of Infection Control said more than 8,000 Canadians die each year from hospital-acquired infections. About 200,000 Canadians in total contract an infection.

The infections include antibiotic-resistant "super bugs" like C. difficile, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus.

Hospital-acquired infections kill more Canadians than breast cancer and AIDS combined.

Weber believes his father-in-law likely died as the result of carelessness by a health worker.

"I had seen people go into his room without washing their hands," Weber said. "Perhaps it was somebody's soiled hands that brought (the infection) to him and ultimately caused his doom."

Dr. Andrew Simor, of the Community and Hospital Infection Control Association of Canada, said the issue needs to be more widely addressed.

"This is one of the top issues from patient safety in our hospitals," he said.

Simor suggests patients should ask hospital workers if they have washed their hands.

"It's only reasonable for patients and their families to remind us to reduce the risk, whatever way possible," he said.

Some families are considering legal action. Jean Pierre Mendard, a Quebec lawyer, is planning a class action lawsuit on behalf of affected families. He hopes the legal action will promote change within Canada's hospitals.

"It is sad to think we have to consider legal action to force a correction to this situation," he said.

Sophie Mongeon's father fought leukemia and survived. But she said an infection he acquired in the hospital where he was treated eventually killed him.

She hopes hospital workers will learn from her tragedy, and work to improve cleanliness standards.

"It's important that hospitals become a very clean place so people get better, not worse," she said.

With a report by CTV's Avis Favaro