A national hand hygiene campaign has been launched at Dungarvan Community Hospital.
“RESIST” is the HSE's campaign for hand hygiene and infection prevention and control initiatives, under its Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control Programme (AMRIC).
One of these initiatives is a rollout of RESIST to all residential care facilities.
The programme builds on the work already done to date by all healthcare facilities and healthcare workers in promoting and complying with hand hygiene standards.
Hand hygiene has been used as a measure to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and other infections which can cause harm to care facility residents.
Speaking at the launch of the RESIST campaign in Dungarvan Community Hospital this afternoon, Mary Clare Hayes, Assistant Director of Nursing/Infection Prevention and Control, Quality and Patient Safety Department, South East Community Healthcare, said:
“As a programme, RESIST is aimed not just at those delivering care but at everyone who comes into a hospital or residential care facility, including patients and visitors. We will be intensifying the campaign across the South East and are delighted that the initial focus is in Dungarvan Community Hospital."
Also speaking at the launch, Paula French, Director of Nursing, Dungarvan Community Hospital, added:
“Here in Dungarvan Community Hospital, we have a very good record in hand hygiene. We are always, however, looking to improve out standards. The RESIST programme will help us to do that and we are delighted to have been selected to be part of the rollout in HSE residential services.”
What residents can do for hand hygiene
Residents can play a big part in reducing the spread of infection by doing the following:
· Clean your hands regularly, using the alcohol hand gel in the hospital.
· Clean your hands before you eat and wash your hands after you go to the toilet.
· Avoid sharing your personal things with other residents – for example, your phone.
· Do not let anyone sit on your bed and avoid sitting on other residents beds
· Remember it is OK to remind a staff member or your visitors to clean their hands
· It is OK to tell a staff member if you see anything that is not clean.
