Healthcare facilities across the Territory are being encouraged to achieve effective hand hygiene action at the point of care, in observance of World Hand Hygiene Day.

The “Save Lives: Clean Your Hands" campaign is observed annually in an effort to support healthcare workers efforts to improve hand hygiene in the healthcare setting.

Infection Prevention & Control Manager, Mrs. Rosa Ravariere-Seaman said that washing hands with soap and water or sanitising with an alcohol based hand sanitiser is the most effective way to break the chain of infection and disease transmission.”

Mrs. Ravariere-Seaman said the point of care refers to the place where the patient, the healthcare worker and patient’s environment interacts.  “To prevent the transmission of infectious organisms during health care delivery, proper hand hygiene should be performed,” she said.

Mrs. Ravariere-Seaman went on to state that hand hygiene is required in healthcare, before and after contact with patients, their body substances or items contaminated by them and before and after performing invasive procedures.

“Hand hygiene is also required after assisting patients with personal care, before and after putting on and taking off gloves, before preparing, handling, serving or eating food or feeding a patient, after performing personal functions and when hands come into contact with secretions, excretions, blood or bodily fluids,” she said.

The Infection Prevention & Control Manager added that every year, millions of patients around the world are affected by healthcare associated infections.  The Save Lives Clean your Hands Campaign she explained is important as many of these infections can be prevented by caregivers washing or sanitising their hands at key moments in the patient’s care. 

“Our hands heal but they can also harm, I want to encourage healthcare professionals in private and public practice to adhere to the guidelines and do their part to save lives by cleaning their hands at the point of care,” Mrs. Ravariere-Seaman concluded.

World Hand Hygiene Day is being observed on May 5 under the theme “Achieving Hand Hygiene at the Point of Care.”

BVI Health Services Authority is committed to delivering excellent, compassionate, client-centered healthcare across the Territory.