By Stephen Adeleye.
The Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja (FTHL) has sensitised health workers, patients and the general public on the need to imbibe the culture of hand washing to prevent contracting and spreading infections.
The sentisation was carried out at the hospital on Friday in Lokoja, as part of activities to commemorate the ”World Hand Hygiene Day 2023,” marked on May 5 of every year.
Speaking at the event, the Chief Medical Director of FTHL, Dr Olatunde Alabi, said the day was an important day to remind the health workers, patients and everybody on the need to wash their hands regularly.
“It is very important as healthcare workers to wash our hands properly before we start work or see any patient, and do the same after attending to every patient.
“We should also wash our hands after doing all our work for the day before going home, and do the same when we get to our houses, Alabi said.
According to him, it has been proven that hand hygiene reduces to a significant proportion the incidence of infections among the people.
The CMD noted that Antibiotics might not even be able to do what hand hygiene could do in terms of infection prevention.
He stressed that the hand hygiene day was to remind ourselves and the public, and encourage them to imbibe the culture of hand washing which people were used to during COVID-19 in 2020.
He added: “This is to serve as a reminder that COVID or no COVID, hand hygiene is a health seeking behavior.”
Dr Alabi, therefore, urged health workers and the people to imbibe the habit and culture of washing their hands regularly.
Also speaking, Dr. Abimbola Adesanya, the Focal Person, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC), FTHL, said regular hand washing remained the best way to preventing infections.
Adesanya, who led other Members of the IPC Orange Network in the sensitsation campaign, said their purpose was to colour Nigeria orange.
“This is because we want to ensure that infection is prevented to the barest minimum in Nigeria.
“Today, being the World Hand Hygiene Day, is a day set aside as members of IPC worldwide, to remind everybody of the importance of washing hands regularly,” she said.
Adesanya stressed that it had been proven scientifically that washing of hands could prevent infections from being passed from a health worker to a patient and among health workers.
The Medical Doctor added that hand washing was able to reduce birth fevers among women who were just having children.
“As health workers, we should wash our hands properly before, during and after carrying out our healthcare services. The most important method is to use water and soap.
“So, today we want to remind everybody to continue to imbibe the culture of hand washing which is the best way to prevent most forms of infections.
“By keeping our hands clean, we are protecting ourselves and the next person from any form of infections,” she said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the highlight of the event was the practical demonstration of proper hand washing led by the Medical Director and other Management and Staff of the hospital.
Earlier, the IPC Orange Network team of the hospital led by Dr Abimbola Adesanya, presented an Orange Face Cap to the Chief Medical Director in appreciation of his immense support for the Network in carrying out their mandate.
