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India commits to reduce risks of health
care-associated infections
Health care-associated infections are a global
problem affecting both developing and developed countries. To fight the
spread of health care-associated infections, which affect millions of
patients each year worldwide, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare,
Government of India, in association with the World Health Organization (WHO)
launched the Global Patient Safety Challenge and signed a pledge to
acknowledge India’s commitment to address this problem.
This inaugural event of the Global Patient Safety
Challenge, with the theme "Clean Care is Safer Care” was held on 14 July
2006 at New Delhi and was presided over by Mrs. Panabaka
Lakshmi, Hon’ble Minister
of State for Health and Family Welfare and was attended by other prominent
dignitaries including Mr Prasanna Hota, Secretary of Health & Family Welfare, Dr S J Habayeb, WHO Representative to India, Dr R K Srivastava, Director General of Health Service,
Government of India and Dr Didier Pittet, Leader of
the Global Patient Safety Challenge.
"Clean Care is Safer Care" emphasizes the
critical role of hand hygiene in controlling the spread of infections.
Mr Prasanna Hota, welcoming the guest and dignitaries, pointed out
the risks associated with health care associated infections and stressed the
need for a committed and coordinated effort from all the health care providers
to tackle this hazard. Dr Habayeb, the WHO
Representative, briefed the audience about the formation of the World
Alliance for Patient Safety and highlighted the present activities of the Alliance.
In her inaugural address, the Hon’ble
Minister of State, Mrs. Panabaka Lakshmi highlighted India’s achievements and
challenges in the last few years in the field of Patient Safety. She outlined
the countries efforts in the areas of safe clinical practices, safe
injections, blood safety, and waste management.
Dr R K Srivastava,
Director General of Health Services, Government of India, signed a pledge
committing to address health care-associated infection in the country. By signing this pledge the Ministry of
Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, has committed to promoting
high standards of practice to reduce the risks of health care-associated
infection and to share results and learning internationally. Following the
signing of the pledge the Hon’ble Minister of
State, Mrs. Panabaka Lakshmi,
released a preliminary India Country Report, which highlights India’s
achievements and challenges in the various areas of Patient Safety.
Prof. Didier Pittet
addressed the audience on the theme “Clean Care is Safer Care” and the
importance of clean clinical practices and hand washing in health care
settings to prevent hospital aquired infections.
To date, about 30 countries from various regions
have already signed the pledges or are planning to do so this year. Bahrain,
Belarus, Georgia, Hong Kong,
Ireland, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan,
Malaysia, Moldova, The Netherlands, The Philippines, Russia, Saudi
Arabia, Slovenia,
Switzerland, Tajikistan and the UK have already signed the
pledge.
"India is the first country of the
South East Asian Region to inaugurate the "Clean Care is Safer
Care" initiative and sign a pledge to address health care-associated
infections. This reflects the commitment of the Government of India to
address the issue of patient safety in the country” noted Dr S. J. Habayeb, WHO Representative in India.
This event follows the Global Patient Safety
Challenge launch in October 2005 at WHO Headquarters in Geneva.
India
was one of the eight prominent member countries which participated in that
event. During the video-link, which
was broadcast to all the regions of WHO, the
Secretary of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, Mr Prasanna Hota had highlighted India’s achievements and challenges in various
areas of patient safety and reiterated India’s commitment to this
important initiative.
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 Photo Gallery
Note on the Global Patient
Safety Challenge
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