Hanoi, VietNam — Bacterial contamination at hospitals could assist infected bacteria become multi-drug-resistant, increasing the number of patients, fatalities and expenses, health experts have warned.
"Doctors and nurses have a responsibility of awareness with regards to treating both themselves and their patients."
Director
National Hospital of Tropical Diseases
Le Thi Anh Thu, chairwoman of the HCM City Bacterial Contamination Prevention Council, said that hospital pollution had reached alarming levels due to overcrowding, especially in surgical and recuperation wards.
Meanwhile, director of the National Hospital of Tropical Diseases Nguyen Van Kinh, said that patients have suffered bacterial contamination two days after hospitalisation due to equipment and tools. Independent surveys at various hospitals, conducted since the start of this year, have shown that around 5.5-8 per cent of all patients suffer from bacterial contamination, according to Kinh, who added that the rate at 34 Ha Noi-based hospitals had come in at 2.9 per cent.
Bacterial contamination at hospitals can cause hepatitis, dengue fever and acute diarrhoea, Kinh explained.
"Bacterial contamination mostly occurs due to medical workers not washing their hands often enough," he noted.
A survey, conducted in northern cities and provinces during May, revealed that only 2.3 per cent of hospitals had standard lavabos, more than 58 per cent of medical workers providing wrong answers related to questions based on hand hygiene, according to Ministry of Health statistics.
Typically, at Bach Mai Hospital in Ha Noi, only 2.6 per cent of medical staff washed their hands before attending to patients.
Bacterial contamination at hospitals can be easily prevented if staff were taught to wash their hands, sterilise medical equipment and treat medical waste properly, Kinh said.
"Doctors and nurses have a responsibility of awareness with regards to treating both themselves and their patients," he added.