44 healthcare facilities register commitment to hand hygiene

Islamabad

As of April 18, 2016, a total of 44 hospitals and healthcare facilities in Pakistan have registered their commitment to hand hygiene as part of a global campaign of the World Health Organisation that calls on all healthcare facilities to join the ‘SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands’ movement and commit to improving hand hygiene practices.

“The WHO Country Office in Pakistan plans to join hands with the government and partners to raise awareness about the benefits of hand hygiene,” a press release issued here on Wednesday states. World Hand Hygiene Day is observed on May 5 every year to sensitise healthcare workers (doctors, nurses, sanitary staff, etc.,) in the fact that hand hygiene is the single most important method of preventing and controlling infection in healthcare facilities.

The theme of this year’s campaign is ‘Surgical site infections, with particular focus on ensuring clean hands from the moment the patient enters the hospital, through surgical preparation and post-operative care, until the patient is discharged’. The campaign aims to reduce the spread of life-threatening infections through improving hand hygiene practices in healthcare settings. Hand hygiene is a primary and simple, low-cost measure which is proven to be effective in preventing healthcare-associated infections.

Many studies have shown that the bacteria that cause hospital-acquired infections are most frequently spread from one patient to another on the hands of healthcare workers. Cleaning your hands before and after having contact with patients is one of the most important measures for preventing the spread of bacteria in healthcare settings to improve and promote best hand hygiene practices during the delivery of healthcare services.

Infectious diseases in Pakistan are believed to be one of the most pressing medical problem and the major cause of morbidity and premature death. According to an assessment of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services in healthcare facilities, conducted by WHO in 2015, hand washing facilities were available in 70-80% of the assessed health centres, and a few hospitals including District Head Quarters and Tehsil Head Quarters had placed soap in hand washing areas of healthcare facilities.

Every year, health care-associated infections affect hundreds of millions of patients worldwide, in both developed and developing countries. They can lead to serious illness, prolonged hospital stays, long-term disabilities, added costs to patients and their families, additional financial burden on the healthcare system and, critically, sometimes, tragic loss of life.

Patient voices can act as a powerful tool in achieving improvements in patient safety, and their participation is needed to improve and promote hand hygiene. WHO is encouraging patients to insist on their right to safe health care, of which hand hygiene is a basic component.

Healthcare managers have a responsibility to facilitate hand hygiene through ensuring: availability of soap, running water and alcohol-based handrub, a standard sink/bed ratio, continuous training of staff, regular monitoring of hand hygiene practices and patient satisfaction.

WHO’s vision for the next decade is to encourage awareness and promote the need for improved compliance and sustainability in hand hygiene practices at the point of patient care through implementation of WHO’s 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene initiative: i) before patient contact: ii) before cleaning/aseptic procedure; iii) after body fluid exposure risk; (iv) after patient contact; and v) after contact with patient surroundings.