Assessment of Compliance of Hand Hygiene Practices amongst Healthcare Care Workers in Tertiary Care Hospital, Multan

Abstract

Objective: To assess hand hygiene practices compliance among health care workers in military hospitals.
Study Design: Cross-sectional descriptive study.
Place and Duration of Study:  The study was conducted in Emergency Rooms (ERs), Intensive Therapeutic Care (ITCs), High Dependency Units (HDUs), and Wards of Combined Military Hospital (CMH) Multan, Pakistan, from 8^th March 2023 to 7^th April 2023.
Methods: The statistics presented here were compiled using the World Health Organization's "Hand Hygiene Knowledge Questionnaire for Healthcare Workers." The survey was distributed in hard copy to the medical staff on duty at the various facilities during the data collection period. Participants were given time to complete it privately and then collected it after work.
Results: There were 26 (52%) doctors, including army and civil medical practitioners; 14 (28%) included AFNS/nurses and paramedical staff, and 10 (20%) were from housekeeping staff, including sweepers, janitors and building cleaners. All the participants, 50 (100%), in the study knew that hand hygiene is important for health. 49 (98%) respondents believed that hand hygiene is effective in preventing health care-associated infections, and only 1 (2%) didn’t know whether hand hygiene is effective in preventing healthcare-associated infections or not. 45 (90%) respondents said that hand-cleaning products were readily available for staff and patient use, whereas 5 (10%) said that hand-cleaning products were not available for patients and staff to use. 31 (62%) of the respondents were satisfied with their hand hygiene practices, 11 (22%) were not satisfied. In contrast, 8 (16%) thought that there was still room for improvement in these practices.
Conclusion: It is necessary to encourage hand hygiene practices and educate health care workers according to WHO guidelines. This will not only reduce mortality and morbidity due to hospital-acquired infections but also improve and promote health at all levels.

How to cite this: Khan N, Hakim A, Zahid MS. Assessment of Compliance of Hand Hygiene Practices amongst Healthcare Care Workers in Tertiary Care Hospital, Multan. Life and Science. 2025; 6(1): 138-144. doi: http://doi.org/10.37185/LnS.1.1.472