Vachira Phuket Hospital staff scrub up

PHUKET: Staff at Vachira Phuket Hospital yesterday staged a hand-washing contest and other fun activities to highlight the importance of basic hygiene in combating the transmission of infectious diseases.

Hospital Director Dr Jessada Chungpaibulpatana presided over the event, dubbed “Clean Hand Project II”.

The project was held to remind all staff of the hospital, the largest on the island, about the importance of hand washing and other basic hygiene procedures.

“Hand washing is cheap, easy and very effective at preventing infection and the spread of disease in a hospital,” said Dr Jessada.

“Microbes and bacteria in a hospital are typically found on the hands of people who work there. They can easily spread to other people. Therefore, hand cleanliness and hygiene are really important for all hospital staff,” he said, adding that the use of latex gloves was also an important preventative measure.

Strict hygiene protocols, including hand-washing, also reduces the need to prescribe antibiotics to long-term in-patients, and lowers the hospital’s risk of being sued by patients who contract a disease while under their care, he added.

“This project is already in its second year and we will continue our campaign to promote hand washing in following years,” he said.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong