#Kingston, October 16, 2019 – Jamaica – The Ministry of Health and Wellness is working to develop a National Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) strategy as part of a comprehensive approach to strengthening healthcare safety and quality and improving health outcomes.
Key
personnel from the Ministry, the regional health authorities and members of
hospital IPC teams, are participating in a two-day National Strategic Workshop
for Infection Prevention and Control, at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston.
The
aim of the workshop, which started on Tuesday (October 15), is to garner
stakeholder input for a draft strategy. Speaking
at the workshop’s opening ceremony, Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon.
Christopher Tufton, said data from a 2015 audit conducted at a number of
facilities within the south-east health region found a number of gaps.
These
include a lack of general knowledge among the various categories of staff
regarding the principles of IPC; lack of compliance with good hand hygiene
practices and knowledge about proper use of personal protective equipment;
improper cleaning techniques and storage of chemicals; and improper management
of waste.
Monitoring
and evaluation supply chain issues, as well as the need for infrastructure
repair and upgrade, were also listed among the challenges to the sector.
“These
deficiencies are fuel for infections acquired in healthcare settings, which are
the most frequent adverse events in healthcare delivery worldwide,” Minister
Tufton noted.
He
said that the Ministry, with support from the Pan-American Health Organization
(PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO), has been taking action to remedy the
situation.
This
includes training of IPC nurses in all government hospitals using the PAHO/WHO
methodology, to enhance their knowledge in the prevention, surveillance and
control of hospital acquired infections; training neonatal intensive care unit teams
in the prevention of neonatal sepsis; training of selected specialists in the
prevention, surveillance and control of hospital acquired infections; and
review and adaptation of IPC documents and guidelines.
Dr.
Tufton said the Ministry is on a path to safeguarding access to equitable,
comprehensive and quality healthcare for Jamaicans and to bolster its
stewardship capacity in order to achieve universal access to health and health
coverage.
“If
we are to succeed, then IPC has to be prioritised and it is up to us to make that
a reality. The workshop is helping to give shape to that as we work together to
ensure a safe environment and healthcare practices that give our patients the
best chance at optimal health outcomes,” he said.
Contact: Rochelle Williams
Release: JIS
Photo Captions:
Header: Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (centre) and Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)/World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Jamaica, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, Dr. Bernadette Theodore-Gandi (right), peruse documents at the opening ceremony of the National Strategic Workshop for Infection Prevention and Control on Tuesday (October 15), at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston. Looking on is Chief of the National Infection Prevention Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Chile, Dr. Fernando Otaiza. The two-day workshop concludes October 16.
Insert: Health and Wellness Minister, Dr. the Hon. Christopher Tufton (left), speaking at the opening ceremony of the two-day National Strategic Workshop for Infection Prevention and Control on Tuesday (October 15), at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel, New Kingston. Also pictured are Chief of the National Infection Prevention Control Programme, Ministry of Health, Chile, Dr. Fernando Otaiza (second right); and Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)/World Health Organisation (WHO) representative to Jamaica, Bermuda and the Cayman Islands, Dr. Bernadette Theodore-Gandi.
Dave Reid Photos