C’River develops policy on infection, prevention and control of diseases

 “We want to step up the Infection prevention and control process to ensure zero infections are acquired in the hospital.” Dr Inyang Asibong

It was all smiles on Thursday as the Cross River State Ministry of Health, in collaboration with stakeholders, completed the development of a State specific Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC) policy and the State specific Health Care Waste Management (HCWM) policy. This was achieved after a two days stakeholder workshop in Calabar.

The policy document was developed by Infection Prevention and Control / Health Care Waste Management stakeholders to help protect patients, health workers and the community. The policy became even more necessary as a result of the recent Ebola and Lassa Fever outbreaks which claimed the lives of some infected patients and health workers.

The policy will ensure control and containment of the spread of infection within the State and also strengthen the health care waste management system in an appropriate and sustainable manner.

The Commissioner for Health, Dr Inyang Asibong, also inaugurated members of the State Infection, Prevention and Control Committee which has been charged with the responsibility of ensuring the implementation of IPC programs and policies, provide training on IPC at State level, provide technical support, provide training on IPC at State level; monitor and evaluate IPC activities at the State and LGA levels, ensure IPC activities are budgeted for, conduct advocacy and mobilize resources for IPC activities, and perform any other relevant IPC roles among others.

Other Committees include Nursing and Decontamination which will be Chaired by Mrs Mbong Anam; Continuing Medical Education which has Dr Kenneth Takem as Chairman; Waste Management /Logistics /Engineering /Finance has Mrs Ekaete Obase as the Chairperson; Prevention of Exposure and Post-exposure (PEP) /Pharmaceuticals Committee is to be chaired by Dr Eyo Nsa; and lastly Mr Patrick R.Ekpene is to chair, Monitoring and Evaluation Committee. The Committees are expected to meet at least quarterly or more frequently as the need arises and ensure regular feedback to the Commissioner.

In response to the inauguration, the Committee members, through their Chairpersons expressed their readiness to work and contribute their quota in the best possible manner and highest possible standard to ensure there’s a cleaner and healthier health facilities in the State. Speaking to newsmen Dr Asibong said it is important to have these Committees at this point in time because we are having a lot of communicable diseases and many of them are acquired from the hospital. This move will ensure things are done the right way following the death of doctors, nurses and other health workers during the Ebola treatment and recently Lassa Fever. We want to step up this process to ensure zero infections are acquired in the hospital. We want you to come to the hospital, get treated and go back well without any infection.

http://www.crosswire.com.ng/criver-develops-policy-on-infection-prevention-and-control-of-diseases/