MMSA releases a statement on the Minister for Health’s plans for Maltese healthcare

Jazmin Conti — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 11:02:31 +0000

The Minister for Health, Jo Etienne Abela, has released upcoming plans regarding Maltese healthcare. Among the plans mentioned, is the goal to relocate any non-clinical service, which includes the University of Malta’s medical school, currently situated at Mater Dei Hospital to a ‘health village’. There are plans for the ‘health village’ to be developed in Gwardamangia.

This has led to the Malta Medical Students’ Association to release a statement, expressing their concerns. In this statement, it is highlighted that a new medical school was meant to be built by 2022 and that now being in 2024, the finish date of this project is still uncertain. MMSA further states that failing to develop the new medical school impacts the quality of the education given as well as the available space.

It is mentioned that the proximity to Mater Dei Hospital is beneficial for students as given that it is the “most established hospital on the island”, great teaching opportunities are available and allows students, lecturers, and healthcare workers to easily schedule necessary lectures and clinical rotations.

MMSA goes on to mention that turning healthcare into something private is also concerning, particularly in light of recent developments involving Vitals Global Healthcare and Steward Healthcare International. The association emphasizes the need for active involvement in the decision-making process to safeguard the interests of medical students and advocate for the maintenance of high-quality healthcare for patients.

MMSA has taken proactive steps by contacting the Minister, seeking a meeting to discuss these concerns and contribute to the decision-making dialogue, and is waiting for a response.

The post MMSA releases a statement on the Minister for Health’s plans for Maltese healthcare appeared first on The Third Eye.

The Spread of Infection Through Clothing | MHSA

MHSA — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 12:58:00 +0000

Written by Karen Louise Stoner

Laundering is essential to stop our clothes from becoming vehicles of infection transmission. Textiles are used throughout a hospital setting. Be it as a uniform for practioners, bedding, patient gowns, towels, and many other uses. It goes without saying that with exposure on the daily to different pathogens, textiles become contaminated.

Cause of infectious disease to healthcare professions lead by the hospital environment is the third leading cause of spread. According to a scientific review of 1,022 outbreak investigations throughout hospitals. this includes hospital linen and healthcare worker uniforms.

In the midst of a pandemic, healthcare professionals have a duty, to take extra caution not to further spread infection. Having such close contact with patients, the Faculty of Health Science and allied health care workers are all taking extra precaution to protect their uniforms. They keep them solely for their place of work for their protection, the patient’s and the community. However, there are other infectious diseases that they are protecting the community from, not just COVID-19!

How is Infection Spread?

Healthcare workers come into contact with blood, skin, urine, and many other bodily fluids and tissues. These substances contain a high number of microorganisms which inevitably contaminate such textiles due to the nature of close contact.

In studies by Fijan et al., (2005), Perry et al., (2001), Hota et al., (2004), after laundering hospital worker uniforms, traces of surviving microorganisms were still found including MRSA and Acinetobacter baumannii, and many more.

MRSA

MRSA is one of the most commonly spread microorganisms through clothing. It is a branch of staph bacteria, resistant to many antibiotics making the spread difficult to control and infection difficult to treat. It is spread by skin to skin contact and touching contaminating objects. Thus, making it easy to transmit via clothing.

How to Launder Potentially Infectious Textiles

Detergent and laundry additive can be used for effective laundry procedures. The water temperature should be the warmest that the textile’s instructions allow for (never below 60˚C.) If HCPs wash their uniforms at home, Riley et al. recommends washing uniforms separately from other clothing items and after every shift. You can minimize further spread of infections by always carrying out proper hand hygiene, another vehicle for the fast transmission of infection.

Conclusion

Whilst all healthcare workers wear their uniforms with pride, it is essentially a protective barrier to all the aforementioned microorganisms. The pride that a uniform can bring to a job should be mirrored both in the way that the HCP works and the way they act responsibly in the community. Nosocomial infections (hospital acquired infections) take up a permanent residency in the hospital. It is up to the dutiful healthcare worker to diminish all risks to the best of their ability for them, for me, for you.

The post The Spread of Infection Through Clothing | MHSA appeared first on The Third Eye.