Conclave on infection prevention and control

Bhubaneswar: Medical professionals including nurses, paramedics and laboratory technicians from different hospitals across Odisha attended a day-long conclave on ‘Infection Prevention and Control’ held at the SUM Ultimate Medicare (SUMUM) here on Saturday.

The event, conducted by the hospital in collaboration with Advanced Sterilization Products (ASP), included theoretical lectures as well as practical sessions.

Dr Swetapadma Dash, CEO of SUMUM, who addressed the inaugural programme, stressed the need for effective infection prevention and control saying it was the key to rendering quality and safe healthcare. “I am confident that this conclave will help you get a broader and clearer outlook on providing quality healthcare with minimal risk of infection,” she told the participants.

Brig (Dr) Biraj Mohan Mishra, chief of medical services, Dr Prasant Kumar Panda, medical superintendent, Dr Banambar Ray, head of Department of Critical Care, Dr Purabi Baral, consultant, Microbiology and Barnali Banik, senior manager, ASP, were also present during the inauguration.

Referring to the Covid-19 pandemic, Brig (Dr) Mishra said it had threatened the quality of human life in every way possible. “Infection prevention and control at the healthcare facilities is the need of the hour which will help prevent outbreak of any disease in future,” he said.

Dr. Panda said there was a need to set a goal for zero infection to make healthcare effective, efficient and safe.
Dr Ray said incorporation of quality indicators in ICUs had started in 1992 and it was found that around 63 per cent of catheterised patients in the ICUs contracted urinary tract infection (UTI).

“With advancement of medical sciences, we have come a long way in infection prevention and control as less than one per cent of catheterised patient in ICUs are found with UTI. We still have a long way to go to bring the graph down to zero,” he said.

Dr Suneeta Sahoo, senior consultant, Microbiology, Apollo Hospital, Bhubaneswar and Dr Bibhudutta Routray, senior consultant, AMRI Hospital, Bhubaneswar were present.