The Minister for Health and Children is anxious that the Health Executive should achieve a reduction in nosocomial infections in Irish hospitals in the immediate future.
The principle infection in mind (although not the most difficult) is MRSA. What’s the solution?
Hand washing. (Hygiene actually).
The methods of ensuring compliance with hand washing protocols will probably vary from place to place but the job is not impossible.
In any event, employees of hospitals are entitled in law to safe places of work and safe systems of work. Why should a patient not have the same entitlements?
On available accounts the medical profession are a difficult lot.
So, it won’t be easy. But it won’t be impossible. Next time you go to a hospital perhaps you will see on its walls, poster size photographs of bacterial colonies, cultured from the hands of the staff.