Page 53 - CIJ JAN 2024 - Digital Edition

HealtHcare Hygiene

infections. Cleaners are the patients, healthcare workers,
frontline warriors against and the broader community
multidrug-resistant microbial from HAIs. The intricate array
pathogens. of challenges, ranging from
Has hospital cleaning finally high patient turnover to diverse The intricate array of
reached a level of maturity, patient conditions, emphasizes challenges, ranging
rather than lagging behind more the necessity for robust from high patient
widely recognized infection strategies. These strategies turnover to diverse
control measures like hand encompass established practices patient conditions,
hygiene? One might hope so. such as rigorous hand hygiene, emphasizes the
The balance between hand Personal Protective Equipment
hygiene and cleaning hand- (PPE) usage, environmental necessity for robust
touch sites should be considered cleaning, surveillance, strategies.
equally important, yet domestic and the incorporation of
duties have not garnered the cutting-edge technologies
global attention seen for hand like AI and UV disinfection
hygiene. Since hands must systems. Addressing these
touch surfaces to function, challenges involves allocating that a significant percentage
attempts to maintain clean resources, fostering effective of digital transformation
hands are futile if the surfaces communication, providing initiatives are unsuccessful.
they touch are contaminated. continuous training, The implementation of smart
Moreover, validating good and encouraging patient infrastructure in a singular
cleaning practices is more involvement. hospital or network is intricate
achievable than sustaining To thrive in this demanding and comes with diverse rates of
compliance with hand hygiene. and rapidly evolving landscape, success. Hence, transitioning to
Hospital cleaning should not hospitals must enhance their digitalization plans from theory
be left to personal discretion; efficiency, competitiveness, to practice within the hospital,
instead, it requires evidence- sustainability, and resilience and having the right partner can
based surface standards, for the future. The question significantly impact the outcome.
along with training, regular is: How can they achieve Keerthana Sundar of Clean
monitoring, and education for this? The key lies in investing India Journal spoke with leading
all domestic staff. Recognizing in intelligent infrastructure. experts to understand the present
the value of a clean hospital However, it’s crucial to note and future of HIC. Read on:
should translate into improved
status and corresponding salary
scales for cleaners.
There is no denying that
antimicrobial chemotherapy
and vaccines served as the 20th-
century antidotes to infection.
However, the 21st century
demands a broader scientific
approach to infection, focusing
on a deeper understanding
of pathogen transmission. If
we cannot treat infection, our
efforts should aim to prevent
pathogens from reaching
patients in the first place
Ensuring infection control in
hospitals is vital to safeguard

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