Infection Prevention and Control in improving patient safety in the healthcare setting will be the focus of activities to observe Infection Control Week.

Infection Control and Employee Health Manager, Mrs. Rosa Ravariere-Seaman said, “Our goal is to draw attention to and highlight the importance of Infection Prevention and Control within our healthcare facilities and communities.”

Mrs. Ravariere-Seaman stressed that every healthcare worker plays a vital part in helping to minimise the risk of occurrence and transmission of infections by ensuring that their hands are properly washed and that the clinical environment is as clean as possible.

She said, “By consistently practicing good hand-hygiene and maintaining the core principles of Infection Prevention and Control, members of the healthcare team will help to spare our patients anxiety, pain, inconvenience, disability, loss of income or even death associated with infections.”

Mrs. Ravariere-Seaman said cleaning the hands is one of the most important actions anyone can do to prevent infections. “Our hands touch everything which means they pick up and transfer germs from one area to another, area to person, or person to person,” she said, adding, “To break the chain and stop the spread, hand-hygiene is the single most effective method to keeping you safe.”

The Health Manager is urging persons to clean their hands before and after preparing food, before eating, and before and after using the restroom. She said drying hands is just as important to avoid the transfer of organisms from wet surfaces.

She added, “Infection Prevention and Control is everybody’s business. Each of us, patients and clients, families, visitors and healthcare workers all play an important role in preventing and controlling infections. Hand hygiene is the key. Clean those hands.”

 Infection Control Week will be observed from September 9 to 15 under the theme “Save Lives: Clean your Hands”.

The community is invited to support the week of activities and learn more and do their part to minimise the spread of infections and bacteria. The activities are as follows:

• Sunday September 9, a Church Service at the Road Town Anglican Church at 8:30 a.m.
• Monday September 10, an Opening Ceremony at the New Peebles Hospital Lobby at 10:00 a.m.  
• Tuesday September 11, Community Health Centres will highlight various aspects of Infection Prevention and Control.
• Thursday September 13, vaccines will be available free of charge for staff, and a Game Night to include Infection Control Bingo, Family Feud, and Relay.
• Friday September 14, an Open House from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Lobby of the New Peebles Hospital. 
• The week of activities culminates on Saturday, September 15 with a walk from Peebles Hospital Parking Lot to CSY Dock and back, beginning at 5:30 a.m.

BVI Health Services Authority is committed to delivering excellent, compassionate, client centered healthcare across the Territory.