Hand hygiene provides safe surgical care
Republic of Macedonia for the third time marked May 5 – World Hand Hygiene day. The campaign of the World Health Organization – Save life- Clean your hands, aims to maintain and emphasize the importance of clean hands in health care. One of the many responsibilities of health workers towards patients coming to the hospital, among other things, is to ensure and guarantee the safety of hospital associated infections that usually occur from multi-drug resistant strains of bacteria, that are spread through: contaminated hands of health care workers, patients and visitors; contaminated equipment and contaminated environment for patients. It is possible only by constantly upgrading and continuing education and practice safe procedures in routine work. One of those safety procedures that constantly need to remind ourselves is – correct hand hygiene, which includes washing or rubbing hands with disinfectant at the right time and on the right way.
Hands are the most elementary way of transmission of microorganisms during health care. The consequence are: serious infections, especially in critically ill patients; prolonged hospitalization; long-term disability; financial burden on patients and their families and the health system, but the major one is the lost of human lives. Hence the need for all healthcare professionals, as well as any person directly or indirectly is involved in caring for the sick (family and visitors), paying attention to hand hygiene and proper practice.This year’s motto of the World Health Organization (WHO) on this day is: See your hands – hand hygiene supports safe surgical care. The focus of this campaign is to improve the practice of hand hygiene in surgery starting from surgical departments, operating through halls, until surgical clinics.Hospital infections associated with surgery intervention are risk for every medical institution and become a larger public health problem. Especially, considering the fact from the WHO that 35% of health institutions in the world do not have sufficient amounts of soap and water for this purpose.Aware of the importance of hand hygiene and its correct application in protecting health of patients, this year were reported 174 countries and 18,365 hospitals around the world that will mark the day.
Macedonia was one of the countries that joined in the celebration of the World Day for hand hygiene on May 5, 2016. In order to bring the activities to health professionals working in the municipality of Veles and other close municipalities: Kavadarci, Negotino, Demir Kapija Gevgelija, Strumica, Radovis, Kocani, Stip. The event in Veles was opened by Prim d-r. Golubinka Boshevska, Dr. sci, and national coordinator for antimicrobial resistance, from the Institute of Public Health of the RM. The WHO Office in Skopje and the WHO Regional Office for Europe are the sponsors, and Ministry of Health, Institute of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine – Skopje and CRPRC Studiorum are associates. After the welcoming speech of the organizer and host of the event, Dr. Peter Sazdov, a council member of municipality of Veles, 2 expert presentations followed:
- Highlights of proper hand hygiene in hospitals under the guide of WHO – Prof. Dr. Kaka Popovska – Jovanovska, Faculty of Medicine, Skopje
- Good hand hygiene, the simplest and most cost-effective way in tackling infections multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria – Prof. Dr. Nikola Panovski, Faculty of Medicine, Skopje
Save lives! Clean your hands.
