Handwashing

National Center for Mental Health (NCMH) is leading by example when it comes to maintaining good hand hygiene and preventing the spread of infections.

On 13th of May 2011, every staff of different pavilions had joined the Department of Health ‘Clean Hands Every Time’ campaign. NCMH supported this campaign which aims to raise the awareness of every individual for preventing the spread of MRSA in sporting facilities, as well as reinforcing the messages given regularly by the Infection Control Team in Noble’s Hospital to promote effective hand hygiene.
There are three main messages in this campaign:
• Clean your hands frequently: Thoroughly washing the hands with soap and water for 15 to 20 seconds - rubbing to get lots of bubbles all over the hands to loosen and remove the oils and germs, followed by a good rinse and then drying properly. Moisturizing your hands regularly is also very important for both men and women.
• Remember when to wash: After you use the toilet, change a nappy, touch an animal, blow your nose, cough or sneeze, or handle rubbish. It is also important to wash before preparing or eating food, treating wounds or giving medicine, and tending to a sick or injured person.
• ‘Catch it, Bin it, Kill it’: You can reduce the spread of germs by covering your nose and mouth with a tissue whenever you sneeze or cough. If you don’t have a tissue, coughing or sneezing into your arm rather than into your hands is preferred.

NCMH has set May 13, 2011, Friday, 10:00 a.m as a day to implement a health teaching which focused on hand washing to demonstrate the major commitment to making patient safety a daily reality. Nurses and other healthcare professionals believe that handwashing is a major priority to prevent the spread of infection in hospital.

Pavilion 5 supported the hospital activity. Pavilion 5 staffs and nurses conducted health teachings on proper handwashing to patients and nursing affiliates. Posters and lectures were given to emphasize the importance of washing hands. After the health teaching, we conducted a returned demonstration to check if they can do handwashing properly.

Importance of Handwashing

Hand washing is an important hygienic habit to stay hale and hearty. It not only helps in preventing germs and bacteria, but also helps in maintaining a good healthy life free from diseases. We all come in contact with multitude of germs and bacteria in our day to day living. These micro organisms are present all around us, on the door knobs, water taps, light switches, railings and yes, even on your mouse! While it is impossible to live without touching these objects, it is imperative to be cautious to stay disinfected. Touching the eyes, nose, ears or any other body part and eating food with the infected hand are common ways by which we unknowingly inject the germs and bacteria in our body, thereby making ourselves vulnerable to diseases. The knowledge and importance of washing hands would help in staying free from germs and bacteria.

The most important reason of hand washing is to prevent getting infected with dangerous aliments. People who don’t wash their hands regularly are at the higher risk of getting infected with diseases like cold or flu. Eating without washing the hands often causes gastrointestinal troubles and diarrhea, which can spread within the family. In some cases, improper or no hand washing can cause pneumonia in elderly people and those who are facing chronic diseases. As such, washing hands is prototypical for staying in the pink of health. Remember, prevention is always better than cure. Hence, always clean your hands and stay germ free. By indulging in this easy activity, you would not only stay fit but also avoid unnecessary medical bills, as there would be fewer chances of you getting sick.