A Survey of Hand Hygiene Facilities in a Tertiary Hospital in Nigeria

Abstract

Introduction: Hand hygiene causes a significant reduction in the carriage of potential pathogen in the hand. Inadequate hand hygiene facilities is one of the factors affecting compliance with hand hygiene by health care workers. The objective of the study was to evaluate the availability and accessibility of hand hand hygiene facilities and supplies of hand hygiene agents in the inpatient wards of a tertiary hospital in Nigeria. Methods and Materials: The study was conducted in a federal tertiary hospital in Nigeria. A modified survey checklist that assessed the condition of hand hygiene sink and other facilities was adapted and pretested. Direct observations of existing hand hygiene facilities in all the inpatient wards were carried out by one of the authors. Results: Of the 28 sinks, 22 (78.6%) were accessible but 13 (46.4%) had blocked drain. All the taps were hand operated with only 4 (14.3%) working. Majority of the sinks (67.9%) had no soap and no sink had antiseptic solution. Only 8 (28.6%) sinks had hand drying material which was a cloth towel. No sink had hand hygiene instructions displayed on or close to it. Conclusion: There is gross inadequacy of hand hygiene facilities in Ido-Ekiti, Nigeria. There is an urgent need for health managers to give priority to provision of hand hygiene facilities at all levels of health care delivery. Infection Control Unit should be established and strengthened in each facility for effective implementation of infection control policies.