Is everybody doing their bit?

Mothusi Jowawa | Tuesday March 3, 2015 10:38

Still they need to be prevented least our health is compromised leaving our health to open vulnerability and opportunistic diseases.  

This prompted Kutz & Tutz Hygiene to organise a seminar on infection control, which was officially opened by the Minister of Health Dorcas Makgato recently.  “The objective of the seminar is to bring together Infection Control Practitioners and experts to discuss matters around Healthcare Associated Infections (HAI) and create a networking platform, which will enable healthcare givers to share ideas and resources.  The ultimate goal is reducing HAIs in healthcare facilities,” the Managing Director of Kutz & Tutz Group of Companies, Thata Mmereki said in an interview.

The theme for this seminar is ‘Towards a Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) Free Facility: Does everybody do their bit?’

It is a fact that HAIs or ‘nosocomial’ and ‘hospital’ infections impose significant economic consequences in the healthcare system. Proper preventative measures and tools can greatly reduce the incidence of HAIs and as a result reduce the socio-economic burden on the healthcare system.

In her opening remarks, the minister applauded the efforts of hosting such a seminar, as it is the first of its kind to be held in the country with similar symposia having been held in countries such as Dubai, the Middle East, South Africa and the annual African Health Conference and Exhibition.

“All these conferences speak to a common goal of controlling infections in healthcare facilities, which if not properly mitigated against could have dire consequences on both the wellbeing of our citizenry and the economy due to high costs associated with Healthcare Associated Infections,” the minister said.

In attendance were hospital personnel who included doctors, nurses, hospital orderlies, lab managers/technicians, dental managers/technicians, infection control managers/technicians, and cleaning companies.

The expected outcome from the seminar is for all to do their bit with presentations on topics such as personal hygiene, hand hygiene tools and management, environmental hygiene, dust mites, bed bugs, bacteria, mosquito and moulds on hospital linens and healthcare waste management among others.

Various speakers including Roger Wakefield-Brown, the Scientific Director at Guest Medical in the United Kingdom who made the presentations also gave the keynote address.  Other speakers were Marietjie Du Toit from Life Health Group, South Africa, Jacqui Stewart, the CEO of Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA) and Mike Hysop, the Managing Director of Priontex in South Africa, Hygiene Systems, Drytex, Kleentex as well as the Kutz & Tutz Group Chairperson Baagi Mmereki.