Global Hand Hygiene Day celebrated

NRH Nurses and domestic staffs showing how to wash hands with soap and water.

The Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS) together with World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, National Infection Prevention Team and staff at the National Referral Hospital (NRH) on 6th May celebrated Global Hand Hygiene Day at the National Referral Hospital.

This year’s global hand hygiene day theme is “SAVE LIVES: CLEAN YOUR HANDS”.

Speaking at the celebration NRH Infection Prevention Control (IPC) Nurse, Mrs. Kukari Lui said timely hand hygiene is the cornerstone of IPC. She explained, washing hands reduces the transmission of microorganisms, and keeps everyone safe.

“The IPC team do regular quarterly audits on hand hygiene practices. We have identified that some wards have poor hand hygiene compliance. Part of the challenge is not having alcohol-based hand rub at the point of patient care, we are trying our very best to improve this”, said Mrs. Lui.

However, she announced the hospital was happy to recently receive 200 bed brackets- 100 was donated by WHO and 100 by Volunteer Service Abroad (VSA) volunteers.

“This will make a big difference, as health workers can now perform hand hygiene at the point of care. These will be placed around the wards in the weeks to come”, said Mrs. Lui.

Also, she said the pharmacy at NRH have just began making had at the hospital and they will no longer need to order from the medical store. She added hand hygiene is a challenge at NRH, and calls on staffs, sick patient, caregivers and visitors to work together to minimize the spread of infection.

Meanwhile, National IPC Coordinator Mr. Rolly Viga said the most common mode of transmission of pathogens is via hands. Clean hands are the single most important factor in preventing the spread of pathogens and antibiotic resistance in healthcare settings.

“Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year, nearly 2 million patients in the United States get an infection in hospitals, and about 90,000 of these patients die as a result of the infection.

“More widespread use of hand hygiene products that improve adherence to recommended hand hygiene practices will promote patients’ safety and prevent infection”, said Mr Viga.

He encouraged everyone to apply hand hygiene because it can save lives and ensures a healthy future for all.

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