Hospital cleaning has been identified as a crucial part of overall health and safety, due to the major contribution it plays in controlling the spread of infections and diseases in the hospital environment and society.
This assertion was made by Sanitarian Kareem Olatunji, Head of Department, Domestic Services, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), at a training session on Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection in Health Care setting organised by the General Hospital, Ijede for its Health Attendants on Tuesday.
According to the facilitator, cleaning is the process of removing unwanted substances such as dirt, infectious agents and other impurities from an object in the environment, stressing that to ascertain the effective cleaning of the hospital there must be thorough cleaning and disinfecting to prevent and get rid of unwanted diseases in the environment.
His words, “Cleanliness and Hygiene is very important in any public place, but in hospitals and medical practice it is critical because the spread of germs can endanger individuals who are already at risk”.
He maintained that cleaning plays a major role in the life of patients as it reduces the number of infectious agents that may be present on surfaces and minimise the risk of transfer of micro-organisms from one person or object to another, thereby reducing the risk of cross-infection.
Olatunji espoused that cleaning schedule is an effective and easy way of ensuring that hospital environment and equipment is regularly cleaned, stressing that health attendants should clean areas such as hospital wards, clinics, theatres and emergencies etc., at 30 minutes intervals to prevent the risk of harbouring and spreading infection in the hospital.
He affirmed that certain steps must be put into consideration while cleaning to prevent cross-contamination and huge dust, noting that attendants must clean and disinfect all flat surfaces, clean and disinfect restrooms, dust mop floor, wet mop floor and allow the wet floor to dry before use.
The HOD noted that cleaning the hospital is important but disinfection in health care is paramount because it helps kill harmful micro-organism through the use of various agents such as chemicals, heat or radiation.
“Disinfectants are anti-microbial agents that are applied to the surface of non-living objects to destroy micro-organisms that are living on the objects. It kills more germs than sanitisers and is frequently used in hospitals, dental, surgeries, kitchens and bathrooms to kill infectious organisms”, Olatunji stated.
The Sanitarian listed necessary tools and equipment to work with to include sweeping brush, mopping stick, mopping bucket, Jik, air freshener, harpic, the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
He said the use of PPE, such as gloves, facemasks, gowns, headcovers, shoe covers and so on by attendants, is vital to minimising exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.
The highpoint of the training was a practical demonstration of how to clean and disinfect the hospital by the facilitator Sanitarian Kareem Olatunji.
