Every year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) celebrates 5th May as World Hand Hygiene Day. On this day, Indus Hospital celebrated this special occasion on a big scale in the form of a hand hygiene week from 1ST to 5th May. A number of activities were planned by Indus Hospital to raise awareness about the need for hand hygiene in hospitals. When people seek health care, they are hoping to get better. Too often, however, they end up getting a new, avoidable infection – which is often resistant to antimicrobials and can sometimes even be fatal.
When a health facility’s “quality and safety climate or culture” values hand hygiene and infection prevention and control (IPC), this results in both patients and health workers feeling protected and cared for.
Practice good personal hygiene. Wash your hands before you eat. Be aware of good clean water and food sources.”
That is why the World Hand Hygiene Day (WHHD) theme for 2022 is a “health care quality and safety climate or culture” that values hand hygiene and IPC, and the slogan is “Unite for safety: clean your hands”.
If all doctors, nurses, hospital staff and relatives of patients were to meticulously clean their hands before and after touching each and every patient on every occasion it would result in a marked decrease in hospital-acquired infections and the saving of thousands of lives. There are 2 simple methods for cleaning hands- either apply a 70% alcohol-based handrub for 20 to 30 seconds or wash visibly soiled hands with soap and running water for 40 to 60 seconds.
7 Steps of Hand Washing
- Step 1: Wet Hands. Wet your hands and apply enough liquid soap to create a good lather. ...
- Step 2: Rub Palms Together. ...
- Step 3: Rub the Back of Hands. ...
- Step 4: Interlink Your Fingers. ...
- Step 5: Cup Your Fingers. ...
- Step 6: Clean the Thumbs. ...
- Step 7: Rub Palms with Your Fingers.
The activities that have been planned in Indus hospitals were as follows:
• Posters demonstrating the importance of hand hygiene, the moments when hand hygiene should be performed and the steps for hand washing or application of alcohol-based hand rubs were displayed at prominent places all over the hospital .
•Teams of nursing personnel demonstrated the correct hand hygiene technique to all employees, patients and their relatives entering the hospital
• Teams consisting of nursing personnel, microbiologist and hospital administrators visited all areas of the hospital to oversee hand hygiene practices and spread awareness about hand hygiene • A continuing medical education (CME) workshop cum quiz competition on hand hygiene was organised for doctors of Indus Hospital in the auditorium
• Messages on hand hygiene was played on television sets in waiting halls and Outpatient Dept (OPD) waiting areas
• Group SMS messages related to hand hygiene was sent to all hospital staff to comply with hand hygiene regulations
Glimpses of Hand Hygiene Day at Indus Hospitals
World Hand Hygiene Day 2022 at Indus Hospitals
Activities Covered on Hand Hygiene Day 2022
Poster Competition, Rangoli Competition, Quiz
Awareness Session Across Indus Hospitals