INTRODUCTION: Inadequate hand-washing facilities have been reported as a barrier to hand washing. This study aimed to evaluate the availability and accessibility of hand-washing facilities and supplies of hand-washing agents in the outpatient department (OPD) complex of a tertiary care teaching hospital. METHODOLOGY: A checklist containing 13 variables was prepared and all rooms of direct patient care in the OPD were assessed on one occasion. RESULTS: Out of 211 rooms surveyed, a hand-washing facility was available in 209 (99.05%) rooms. Among these, 206 (98.56%) sinks were easily accessible and were placed close to users. Almost all sinks (99.5%) had hand-operated taps. Thirty-five (16.75%) sinks had no soap stand, and at 21 (10.5%) sinks, soap stands were found to be broken. At 14 (6.70%) sinks, soap bars were not available, while an antiseptic agent was available at 6 (2.87%) sinks. Four (1.91%) sinks had no towel stand, and at 8 (3.83%) sinks the towel stands were broken. At 43 (20.57%) sinks no towel was available, and at 23 (11%) sinks the towels provided were dirty. No sink drain was found to be blocked. No sink had hand-washing instructions displayed demonstrating the correct technique of hand washing. CONCLUSION: Physical facilities required for hand washing were adequate though not perfect. There is a need to shift from hand-operated taps to non-manual taps and from cloth towels to paper towels. Hospital managers in developing countries should continuously strive to provide the best possible hand-washing facilities within their financial resources.
INTRODUCTION: Inadequate hand-washing facilities have been reported as a barrier to hand washing. This study aimed to evaluate the availability and accessibility of hand-washing facilities and supplies of hand-washing agents in the outpatient department (OPD) complex of a tertiary care teaching hospital. METHODOLOGY: A checklist containing 13 variables was prepared and all rooms of direct patient care in the OPD were assessed on one occasion. RESULTS: Out of 211 rooms surveyed, a hand-washing facility was available in 209 (99.05%) rooms. Among these, 206 (98.56%) sinks were easily accessible and were placed close to users. Almost all sinks (99.5%) had hand-operated taps. Thirty-five (16.75%) sinks had no soap stand, and at 21 (10.5%) sinks, soap stands were found to be broken. At 14 (6.70%) sinks, soap bars were not available, while an antiseptic agent was available at 6 (2.87%) sinks. Four (1.91%) sinks had no towel stand, and at 8 (3.83%) sinks the towel stands were broken. At 43 (20.57%) sinks no towel was available, and at 23 (11%) sinks the towels provided were dirty. No sink drain was found to be blocked. No sink had hand-washing instructions displayed demonstrating the correct technique of hand washing. CONCLUSION: Physical facilities required for hand washing were adequate though not perfect. There is a need to shift from hand-operated taps to non-manual taps and from cloth towels to paper towels. Hospital managers in developing countries should continuously strive to provide the best possible hand-washing facilities within their financial resources.
Authors: Celia Carlos; Rowena Capistrano; Charissa Fay Tobora; Mari Rose delos Reyes; Socorro Lupisan; Aura Corpuz; Charito Aumentado; Lyndon Lee Suy; Julie Hall; Julian Donald; Megan Counahan; Melanie S Curless; Wendy Rhymer; Melanie Gavin; Chelsea Lynch; Meredith A Black; Albert D Anduyon; Petra Buttner; Rick Speare Journal: Western Pac Surveill Response J Date: 2015-01-27
Authors: Kenneth I Onyedibe; Nathan Y Shehu; Daniela Pires; Samson E Isa; Mark O Okolo; Simji S Gomerep; Comfort Ibrahim; Sunday J Igbanugo; Rachel U Odesanya; Adebola Olayinka; Daniel Z Egah; Didier Pittet Journal: Antimicrob Resist Infect Control Date: 2020-02-11 Impact factor: 4.887