Dept launched infection prevention policy to protect staff

By CRETILDA ALOKAKA
THE Health Department launched its National Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) policy in Port Moresby last week.
Health secretary Dr Osborne Liko said the policy would protect healthcare workers, medical practitioners, patients and visitors who used healthcare facilities and services.
“The policy will come up with a framework on how to protect everyone that uses government-run health facilities,” he said.
Liko said the aim was to prevent or minimise the risk of picking up infections or viruses just from going to a health centre to be treated for another ailment.
He said it was mandatory for all healthcare workers, both clinical and non-clinical, to improve the quality of healthcare and facilitate the overall goal of IPC at all hospitals.
He said healthcare facilities had been allowed to deteriorate impacting the quality of service for several decades.
He said this had in turn seen diseases and infections also transmitted within the workforce and patients.
Liko said that the public needed to abide by the hygiene rules given by healthcare facilities.
“Another way that these diseases are spread within the health facilities was through people’s ignorance and carelessness,” he said.
“When you go to the hospitals to visit someone, always wash your hands, wear a mask and abide by the instructions.”
He said the policy was approved by the National Health Board and the National Executive Council last year.
Liko added that despite the approval, the Health Department was not able to launch the policy as the Government however, wanted the policy to be launched together with the National Plan.