KENYA – Kenya has introduced Infection Prevention Controls (IPC) measures in Nakuru County Government which plays a key role in improving the standard precautions and procedures in health facilities to prevent Healthcare Acquired Infections (HCAIs).
According to the World Health Organization, infection prevention and control is a practical, evidence-based approach which prevents patients and health workers from being harmed by avoidable infection and as a result of antimicrobial resistance.
The County’s Department of Health has consistently been building the capacity of healthcare workers and staff at different levels so as to reduce the risks of transmission of infections from recognized and unrecognized sources protecting both healthcare workers and patients in health facilities.
No one should catch an infection while receiving health care, yet, these infections can spread through outbreaks and many regular care practices, affecting hundreds of millions of people across the world every year.
During implementing IPC training that over 60 Community Health Extension Workers attended, County Community Health Strategy Focal Person Ms. Ritah Ochola reaffirmed that the health department is well equipped for the prevention and control of infections in the county hospitals.
Ms. Ritah Ochola further said that infection prevention control measures have greatly reduced the spread of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR), adding that IPC has supported high-quality, integrated, people-centered health services with a high Return on Investment.
The infection prevention and control measures aim to curb healthcare acquired infections that pose the biggest threats to patient safety and quality care in hospitals for instance children could get pneumonia in the wards while patients and healthcare providers could get infections after surgical procedures.
Nakuru has implemented various control methods to reinforce infection prevention and control such as training healthcare providers across its 11 sub counties on how they can handle patients and how they can protect themselves during treatment to ensure that they are also safe on their line of duty.
In addition, the Nakuru County Government has fully-equipped Nakuru Level 5 Hospital with the biggest Healthcare Waste Management Microwave and Shredder Machine for waste disposal in the county to prevent the transmission of microorganisms between patients, health workers and the environment.
Nakuru County Governor Lee Kinyanjui explained that healthcare acquired infections used to be a threat in healthcare setups in the county but his administration has continuously implemented various control methods to reduce the risk of transmission of microorganisms.
Kinyanjui noted that every hospital across Nakuru County has a set standard on infection controls that ensure prevention of healthcare acquired infections that can spread through contact in hospitals which may result in a patient admitted for a specific healthcare service, catching a new or different infection.
“We have trained our healthcare providers across the county to enable them to understand more on how they can handle certain patients with different health conditions and the precautions they have to take to make sure that they are also safe,” Governor Lee Kinyanjui confirmed.
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