Dimapur, December 7: Dimapur District observed Infection Control Week at UPHC Duncan on December 4. To mark the occasion, health care providers were re-oriented on hospital infection control and bio waste management. The programme was organized by Dimapur CMO’s office and Nagaland Health Project Dimapur.
Dr. Mereninla Senlem, Chief Medical Officer Dimapur, in her keynote address stressed that sensitization of all level of the staff on infection control and bio-waste management is important so that from the Medical Officer to the janitorial staff; all are aware and follow the guidelines provided by the Government to prevent infection and contamination of the health facility.
Dr. Antoly Suu, Deputy Chief Medical Officer Dimapur stated that out of all the waste generated in a health facility, only 20% are hazardous and it is crucial that these waste are handled and disposed off appropriately to avoid contamination of the health facility. The main steps of infection control and bio-waste management in a health facility are segregation, collection, storage, transport, and disposal of the waste. Waste generated in the health unit must be segregated at source in the appropriate color coded dustbins and disposed off separately.
She further informed that Nagaland Health Project have been very instrumental in the infection control and bio-waste management in the district by constructing deep burial pits and sharp pits in all the government health units and also by providing autoclave machines used for sterilizing surgical equipment at the PHC/CHC level.
The first session of the program concluded with UPHC Duncan staff demonstrating how they manage the waste in their facility. The programme was chaired by Esther, District Program Manager, NHM Dimapur and was attended by Chairman, HMC UPHC Duncan, and staffs under NHM Dimapur, NHP Dimapur, NUHM Dimapur, UPHC Duncan and Town SC.
In the second session, facility level training orientation on NQAS (National Quality Assurance Standard) for health workers of UPHC Duncan was held. The training mainly focused on orienting the health workers on the evaluation criteria and checklist to qualify for NQAS certification. The same training-orientation program was also held for Dimapur District Hospital staff. (Page News Service)
