Campaign Reinforces the Importance of Hand Hygiene at 'Octávio Lobo'
Activities include training, lectures, and monitoring safe hygiene practices in the hospital environment
With the theme "Gloves, sometimes; hand hygiene, always," the Octávio Lobo Children's Oncology Hospital (Hoiol), in Belém, intensified its awareness actions on the importance of hand hygiene this May.
The initiative is promoted by the Hospital Infection Control Service (SCIH) of the unit and is part of the programming for World Hand Hygiene Day, celebrated on May 5, and National Hospital Infection Control Day, celebrated on May 15. Activities will continue until the end of this month with lectures for patients and families, a contest for the best informative poster, and Quality Day and training on the theme.
The campaign reinforces the relevance of a simple gesture, but one that has a great impact on patient safety and infection prevention. "Whenever we conduct hand hygiene campaigns, we reinforce the care, the importance of this simple measure, and involve both the professional and the patient and the companion. We notice an improvement in the indicators because it reminds the teams of the importance and impact of this measure on reducing infections," highlighted nurse Adrielle Monteiro, coordinator of the hospital's SCIH.
According to Adrielle, the adherence of teams to hand hygiene is monitored monthly through direct observation. "Observers assess whether professionals are complying with the five moments of hand hygiene, as recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). The data is tabulated by sector and professional category, and the results are presented to the teams, allowing them to see how their adherence directly impacts infection indicators," she explained.
Carlos Pereira, 68, was accompanying his 19-year-old daughter at the hospital when he participated in an action on the theme. He shared that the young woman has already undergone four surgical interventions to treat a tumor in her skull. "Hygiene is necessary for all of us. Every day, every hour, you have to do total hygiene. Both on your hands and inside the house. With her condition worsening, we doubled our attention, especially during the pandemic, which taught us how important cleaning and hand hygiene are," he stated.
In addition to the campaign, the hospital has a series of ongoing projects that encourage the practice, such as the "Infectometer," which discusses infection rates and adherence to hand hygiene monthly. There is also the "Zero Infection" project, which recognizes sectors with the best performance and absence of infections. "In our daily routine, we guide patients and families on the importance of hand hygiene and use playful materials, such as games and our 'magic box,' to make learning more accessible and attractive," explains Adrielle.
The hospital, managed by the Instituto Diretrizes under a management contract with the State Department of Public Health, also participates in national initiatives, such as "Health in Our Hands," part of the Institutional Development Support Program of SUS (Proadi-SUS), whose main focus is the reduction of infections in intensive care units. However, the actions are expanded to other sectors of the institution.
The coordinator also emphasizes that hand hygiene should be a constant practice, both in the hospital environment and in the daily lives of the population. "During the pandemic, we learned more about the importance of this simple measure. With soap and water or 70% alcohol, we can save lives. Hand hygiene is providing quality care, acting safely and with love. This also applies at home, in family interactions, and at events with crowds, as many infectious diseases are transmitted in the community."
Nurse Adrielle takes the month of May to honor infection control professionals. "The infection control professional is strategic in any health institution. He works daily to reduce and prevent infections, encourages hand hygiene, promotes campaigns and training. I congratulate all our SCIH collaborators, who are always with the team, promoting increasingly safe care for our patients," she concluded.
