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Hospital hand hygiene in question

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Hospital hand hygiene in question

3News NZ

Hand-washing was likely to be introduced as an official national health target

Hand-washing was likely to be introduced as an official national health target

A hand hygiene audit at Dunedin Hospital has found that only 53 percent of staff are washing or sterilising their hands, figures from Southern District Health Board (DHB) show.

Meanwhile, doctors' compliance was about 40 percent, according to figures provided to the Otago Daily Times.

Hand hygiene refers to either traditional hand-washing or applying an anti-microbial agent without water.

Chief medical officer David Tulloch said the national average for hand hygiene compliance was 63 percent.

This figure included DHBs that had been "working on this issue for longer".

Hand-washing was likely to be introduced as an official national health target, increasing its prominence and public awareness, Mr Tulloch said.

A culture change around all aspects of hand hygiene best practice was still developing at Dunedin Hospital, he said.

Hand hygiene was still a "relatively new initiative" in New Zealand. The DHB was reviewing where hand-cleaning products were placed to ensure easy access, Mr Tulloch said.

NZN

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Comments

13/08/2012 6:41:41 p.m.

P wrote:

back in 96, as a nursing student, it was drummed into us that "proper handwashing is the single most important means of preventing nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections. Not exactly a "new" thing. Maybe they don't teach it to doctors?

6/08/2012 5:15:51 p.m.

John wrote:

about bugs and viruses the best place to get them is in hospital and the place to ge them is manly in lounges and toilets although i been very very alerted and clean my hands a lot every time i been in hospital once at the Auckland hospital , i got the phylorus virus and ok now at the north shore hospital the MRSA i was put in isolation and i stayed there for almost a week while other people walking about , while were infected with MRSA watching tv , so people with compromise immune system they get it , So i think is for Hospital stuff to warn patients to be aware not to go in tv lounges and tell patients about hygiene from my experience in hospital i been unlucky before admitted i tested negative 3 days later positive so when i go to the hospital for check up i am very concerned i think hospital doing the best but patients some times are not i seen peple in tv lounges sneezing , wipe their nose with theis hand and clean them of sofas very disguting if i try to say something i may have a fight in your hands Usually Hospital are to get healthier , not to catch superbugs especially patients that have not a good immune system, no matter how many hand microbacterial bottles are in hospitals some people just do not uses them hope everyone will know how easy its get superbugs just a sneeze and its done so wash your hands and use the microbacterial gel avaliable in hospital and for visitors

6/08/2012 5:07:34 p.m.

s wrote:

you are so right, Jan.i don't get that "hand washing is a new initiative" either.it's a developed western country here!not to mention all those viruses that killed patients and locked down the hospital that happened right here in dunedin, time and time again,don't they learn?i confuse that the news reported the staff including med staff have been the ones who don't wash their hands before touching other patients,but Mr Tulloch said including "public awareness",what the hell?the public?!or the staff?!yeah,shift the blame to patients and visitors from doctors,good one!the dhb was reviewing where hand-cleaning products were placed to ensure easy access?--i can see and able to use them easy enough when visit.btw,the door handles are a nightmare!also put jackets and bags on (without wallet of cos) on floor are also unhygienic!doctors don't care abt hygiene even before they became doctors,i saw a med student at med school tucked his drink bottle into the spout of the water fountain,what's up with that?cos he's too lazy to hold it and don't care about transferring germs and bacteria from his bottle to the water fountain and then to other people and then even more people,and he was studying to be a doctor,what a joke!oh,i so want to know if the hospital, med school, around uni and private companies etc would change the filter of all water fountain or water machine and change it regularly once a year as required to keep germs and bacteria away after one hospital reported few years back that it did not know it needed to be changed.it would be great if tv3 would find that out for me and the public,in order to make them change their behaviour in the future even if not now,so that we would not have to keep drinking dirty water along with germs and bacteria from their water fountain.also,wonder if they simply refill their water machines up with tap water to save money.it is shame to learn that dunedin hospital once again on the national news for the same old hygiene problem!

6/08/2012 9:59:01 a.m.

jan wrote:

"Handwashing a new initiative", WHAT?. Its bloody ovious you wash your hands, after and or before you touch a new paitent. Dam filthy people out there. Eg I was a toilet facility, the doors like most (stupidly) you have to pull to get out. The women who had just used the loo did not wash her hands and of course had to pull open the door, thus leaving her germs etc to infect others. I always wash my hands, then use a tissue or (clean) toilet paper to use the pull handle, its just curtisty and common sense to do so. If doctors and nurses or the rest of the staff who are professionaly trained or should know better can't be bothered to wash their hands, then why bother telling the rest of the population to he hygenic. Bring on the superbug to teach the population a lession.