No new MRSA case in ITU for 500 days

No new case of the MRSA infection in blood has been reported in the intensive care unit of Mater Dei Hospital for over 500 days, Health Minister Joseph Cassar said today.

He attributed the development to strict infection control by the hospital authorities.

Dr Cassar was speaking during a press conference ahead of hand hygiene day on May 5.

He said that one of the basic methods how to stop the spread of infection, including MRSA, was proper washing of one's hands with soap or alcohol.

He said that the rate of doctors and other medical staff in hospital washing their hands had doubled. In December 2009, it was only 9% of doctors and nurses who washed their hands after seeing a patient. Last December it was over 50%.

The figures were gathered by the Infection Control Department following studies in individual wards. The best ward was orthopaedic ward III which had 78% compliance. 

Dr Cassar said that every hospital bed now had an alcohol rub and there were therefore no excuses for staff and relatives to clean their hands.

The run-up to Hand Hygiene day will feature a number of activities for professionals to encourage them to wash their hands. 

Dr Michael Borg, who heads the infection control unit, said the decline in MRSA was gradual from 28 cases over 500 days before April 2007.