23 May 2019

Hand hygiene is an important aspect of reducing infection and ensuring a safe environment for patients.

The remarks were made by the hospital superintendent at Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital in Lobatse Dr Seddie Alibusa during the Hand Hygiene Day on May 22.

“Clean hands really do save lives and health-care associated infections affect hundreds of millions of patients worldwide every year leading to loss of life, more serious illnesses, long-term disabilities, prolonged hospital stays and add financial and emotional costs to patients and their families,” he said.

Dr Alibusa said though simple, hand hygiene was an effective intervention to reducing infections despite lack of compliance among health-care providers which remained problematic worldwide.

He, therefore, said encouraging hospitals and other health care facilities to improve hand hygiene was important.

“Ensuring that the public knows the role of hand washing in preventing infections of all kinds is only part of the battle, and the real challenge comes in ensuring that the behaviour is practiced at all times. For this to happen people must not just get into the habit of washing their hands, they must have universal convenient access to functional hand washing stations with soap and running water, whether in hospitals, in schools, in communities or in the home,” he said.

Dr Alibusa also noted the need for a multi-disciplinary approach, taking local factors into account while developing strategies, securing a commitment from administrative and policy-making hierarchies and the cooperation of all health-care workers was crucial.

He said it was possible to succeed in promoting hand hygiene in health facilities across Botswana despite the difficulties that existed.

“For instance, if hand hygiene promotion policies were fully integrated into extensive Primary Health Care and Environmental Health Care programmes the results would be great. There is also the need to develop a National Health and Hygiene Education Strategy related to Water Supply and Sanitation  Services,” he said

This , he said should be developed in coordination with a specific National Sanitation Task Team for implementing the envisaged strategic agenda.

The objective of the commemoration of the day was to sensitise all on the importance of hand hygiene. ENDS