Madam, - In response to Carmel Courtney's letter of January 16th, I would like to make some brief points about healthcare associated infections. These infections, like MRSA, are a feature of health care internationally, and while we will never eradicate them entirely, there is much that can and is being done to tackle and reduce them.
The National Infection Control Team is driving the necessary changes to control the levels of infection in hospitals in Ireland. We are targeting the root causes of this problem: first, changing how we use antibiotics; second, changing hand hygiene behaviour among both health workers and in the public; and finally, providing better physical facilities in hospitals.
The HSE's current public information campaign says patients should ask one important and easy question of their healthcare workers: Have you cleaned your hands? While hospital hygiene is clearly important, evidence shows that hand hygiene is the single most effective defence against the spread of MRSA. Patients and healthcare staff are now much more aware and often more concerned about healthcare associated infections, and we hope the public education messages we are broadcasting will help to reassure everyone in the hospital that high standards are a priority. - Yours, etc,
Dr KEVIN KELLEHER, Assistant National Director, Population Health - Health Protection, Catherine Street, Limerick.