EMC Healthcare (which includes Alam Sutera, Cikarang, Pekayon, Pulomas, Sentul & Tangerang) is excited to celebrate the World Health Organization (WHO) World Handwashing Day scheduled on May 5, 2022. This year's slogan is “United for safety; clean your hands”. EMC Healthcare believes that “cleaning your hands” is one of the most important factors in preventing the spread of disease, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 80% of all infections are spread by hand. Also, considering the current Covid-19 Pandemic, compliance with hand hygiene/washing is very important!
Since 2008, WHO has conducted an annual campaign to improve hand washing adherence worldwide. This year's theme is focused on building a strong quality and safety culture, which will encourage people to clean/wash their hands, at the right time, with the right products.
At EMC Healthcare, “We Serve with Passion from the Heart” and believe that our focus on Hygiene/Handwashing is not just a one-day event (which is on 5 May 2022) but must be a mission for all organizations, involving everyone (including Management, Doctors, and staff), comply with the rules of washing hands with direct practice every day. This is in line with hand washing compliance which is an important part of our culture and is well integrated with EMC's Healthcare vision, which is to provide the most trusted and accessible healthcare services for the advancement of Indonesia's healthcare services. What's more, it also supports EMC's Healthcare mission to prioritize patient needs and safety first, as well as handwashing education and training promotes EMC's Healthcare vision of a culture of continuous learning and innovation.
In addition to this, applying the Hygiene/Handwashing culture is one of EMC's Healthcare core business values and our success is based on regular, learned, and consistent collective programs. To achieve this, management establishes strategies, priorities, and expectations, for example, the Infection Prevention & Control Program which is then communicated through directives/policies/procedures and implemented into the work environment through education and training.
EMC Healthcare relies on the Hand Hygiene (Hand Washing) guidelines from WHO, to be applied in daily use. The use of “WHO 5 Your Moments” signs throughout our hospital helps remind doctors and staff when they should clean/wash their hands, i.e.
- Before touching the patient
- Before carrying out aseptic procedures/actions,
- After being exposed to/contaminated with a patient's bodily fluids,
- After touching the patient and
- After being in-touch with the environment around the patient.
To support monitoring and continuing Handwashing compliance, EMC Healthcare uses WHO guidelines to conduct consistent audits and monitoring of Physicians and staff. The data collected is entered directly into the Application internally developed by EMC Healthcare, which will be directly sent in time to the care center. This application also provides several types of reports.
EMC Healthcare believes that department managers play a key role in overseeing the handwashing process, monitoring compliance, and also encouraging staff to "Speak Up," by reminding their co-workers to practice good handwashing compliance. EMC's Healthcare “Speak Up Program” was introduced starting in 2021, and this program has encouraged staff to report and act on non-conformances found.
Each department in the hospital has a handwashing representative/ambassador to help oversee program implementation and the audit process. This handwashing program is supported by a variety of facilities, such as adequate handwashing stations, soap/disinfectant/alcohol hand rub, towels, and handwashing posters located in strategic locations, especially in the "main location/place of care" at home. our hospital so that doctors, staff, patients, and visitors can easily use it.
The Handwashing Compliance Report has set international and national targets for achievement, and all data is presented to hospital committees (e.g. infection control data, quality, medical committee) and executive management meetings for further analysis and feedback.
There are many things to keep in mind when creating a “Handwashing Culture”, as there is a need to continue to reinforce the effective use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and remind Doctors and Staff to avoid potential contamination when using PPE. Noting there is a correct way of donning (duffing) PPE, which requires monitoring, to ensure staff does not contaminate themselves.
Each EMC hospital will conduct individual campaigns in each unit, which will involve Doctors, Staff, Patients, and Visitors. This campaign will involve live streaming, video competition, Instagram, and website banner design, which will allow hospitals to encourage new innovations by involving each hospital, in developing their own activities. This also supports EMC's focus on digitalization, previously in the form of/using banners, flyers, and posters. , But this year we will try to optimize digital presentation, which is giving adding value because it is more environmentally friendly.