Protecting Clients from Healthcare Associated Infections Success Story

Senior Nursing Officer Lydia Asamoah, with nine years of work experience, has been instrumental in coordinating infection prevention and control activities at the OPD. Her primary focus has been to prevent HAIs among nursing staff, but a significant gap existed in preventing infections among patients and their caregivers. In June-July 2017, a training in infection prevention and control (IPC) was conducted at the hospital, funded by USAID/MCSP. The training, delivered by the Ghana Health Service Regional Health Management Team, was an on-site, interactive, and educative experience for all staff, both clinical and non-clinical. Lydia Asamoah gained valuable knowledge and skills on how to prevent infections among patients and their relatives, stating that the training was "very interactive and educative." Following the training, Lydia and her team re-strategized to improve IPC practices at the OPD, particularly among patients and their caregivers. They identified a critical need for hand hygiene sites, which were lacking, and could lead to the spread of infection. Despite limited hospital resources, the team, with the support of hospital management, successfully advocated for the installation of hand rub sites at the OPD. Additionally, they introduced periodic announcements through a public address system to encourage patients and their caregivers to sanitize their hands when seeking care at the OPD. This intervention aims to reduce the transmission of HAIs among patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. The implementation of hand hygiene sites and periodic announcements is a significant step towards improving IPC practices at the Holy Family Catholic Hospital's OPD. The success of this initiative demonstrates the importance of on-site training and the commitment of healthcare professionals like Lydia Asamoah in protecting clients from HAIs.