Newsletter: International Healthcare Quality Issue


clean care is safe care
Clean care in Indonesia
Introduction
Unsafe medical care is the primary contributor to poor patient outcomes all over the world presenting a particular challenge for most low or middle-income countries, which have fewer resources. Data collection is fundamental towards addressing issues concerning healthcare globally (Jahja, 2013). However, data sources in countries in South East Asia are limited. This information is crucial towards enhancing patient’s outcomes. The clean care is safe care campaign was first initiated by the world health organization with the main goal of eliminating healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). HAIs have been associated with many issues, for instance, compromising or complicating treatment methods, causing patient disability and in worse cases death, promoting resistance to antibiotics and increasing patient stay at the hospital, which leads to the accumulation of a bigger bill. These infections are common in South East Asian countries including Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Through data collection, the campaign was able to identify washing hands as the primary source of these diseases and developed a branch within the campaign to cater for the promotion of washing hands. The clean hand's campaign has been effective in reducing cases of HAIs, but at the same time, the campaign also advocates for cleanliness within the hospital setting.
HAIs have affected the provision of healthcare in Indonesia and are considered the primary cause of infections among young children and pregnant mothers. According to a report recently released by the United Nations children fund (UNICEF), the campaign has played a significant role in reducing the child’s mortality rate in the country. The report states that in 2009, 395,000 children did not live past their fifth birthday but as of 2015, the number has significantly dropped to 147,000, which is almost half the original figure (Liu et al., 2015). HAIs in medical institutions were among the leading causes of child deaths in the country. Lack of proper hygiene in hospitals and other medical institutions created a breeding ground for bacteria which infected the children hence them attracting disease. Childbirth in the nation is not a big deal, and some women choose to do at home. This led to the rise in cases of HAIs both the young children and their mothers.
The clean care is safe care initiative is dedicated to improving the children’s mortality rate in the country hence providing the nation with leaders of tomorrow. The campaign has exerted various techniques to spread its message and achieve success. Among them is campaigning for clean hands whereby people and particularly young children and young mothers are advised to clean their hands regularly. This will help mothers who choose to deliver at home and parents looking after their young children. The campaign does not end there it continues to advocate for clean hands everywhere including schools and most importantly hospital settings. It advocates for the external clea...