| 27 Jul 2010 |
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Clean Hands Save Lives
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- Mafraq Hospital launches campaign to reinforce the importance of hand hygiene in the prevention and control of infection
Abu Dhabi, UAE: 27 July, 2010 - Abu Dhabi's Mafraq Hospital today launches a year-long hand hygiene awareness campaign entitled 'Clean Hands Save Lives'. The campaign targets Mafraq Hospital staff, patients, and the Abu Dhabi community, especially children. The educational initiative reinforces the importance of one of the simplest methods of preventing infection - hand washing. Running for a full year, peak activities will take place in July and August 2010, and in October to coincide with Global Hand Washing Day on October 15, 2010.
Mafraq Hospital is owned and operated by the Abu Dhabi Health Services CompanyAbu Dhabi Health Services Company
PJSC (SEHASEHA), which is responsible for all the curative activities of public hospitals and clinics in Abu Dhabi. The hospital is managed by Bumrungrad International, one of the most renowned hospital management companies in Asia, which is recognised internationally for its commitment to patient care and customer service.
The hospital has created a hand hygiene mascot, 'Habib the Hand', designed to attract and engage children while communicating the benefits of hand hygiene. The new mascot will educate and play with young patients and their families in the children's ward of the hospital.
"The Clean Hands Save Lives campaign is a crucial part of patient safety at Mafraq Hospital," said John Nickens, CEO, Mafraq Hospital. "To really drive the message home, we have focused on creating a program that is cheerful, lighthearted, colourful and also educational to raise overall awareness of the benefits of hand washing.
"We are starting at the base, right here in the hospital, but also branching out into the wider community. The aim is to transform hand washing with soap from an abstract 'good idea' into an automatic behaviour performed in homes, schools, and across communities in the UAE."
By October 2010, a number of interactive community activities which primarily target families will take place across Abu Dhabi. Educational materials including banners in public bathrooms and 'hands on sticks' will be distributed as a constant yet fun reminder of the benefits of hand washing.
Hand washing with soap is among the most effective and inexpensive ways to prevent diarrheal diseases (which can include shigellosis, typhoid and cholera)[1], acute respiratory infections (including SARS and bird flu)[2], and pneumonia, which, when combined, are responsible for the majority of child deaths[3].
"Hand hygiene remains the simplest and single most important measure to break the chain of infection and prevent illness," said Gail Smith, Chief Nursing Officer, Mafraq Hospital. "Making sure you have clean hands is a basic exercise in personal hygiene that most people learn when they are young. Regular hand washing is widely promoted by everybody from mothers to infection preventionists to the World Health Organization as an effective means of keeping microorganisms and illness at bay. The Clean Hands Save Lives campaign is a new initiative, but we will keep it alive and active until we achieve 100 per cent compliance with hand hygiene recommendations."
Although soap is available in most households around the world, observed rates of hand washing with soap at critical moments range from zero to 34 per cent[4]. Hand washing with soap or sanitizer represents a cornerstone of public health and can be considered an affordable, accessible 'do-it-yourself' vaccine.
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Mafraq Hospital was established in 1983 is one of the largest tertiary referral treatment hospitals in the United Arab Emirates, with 451 licensed beds. Its specialist services include medicine, obstetrics, pediatrics, as well as surgical and critical care services. Mafraq Hospital operates the largest burn unit in the country and is a Center of Excellence for ENT and Thoracic surgery. The hospital also operates two primary healthcare clinics at Bani Yas and Al Nahda.
Mafraq Hospital is part of the SEHASEHA HealthSystem and is owned and operated by Abu Dhabi Health Services CompanyAbu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHASEHA) which is responsible for the curative activities of the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. It is managed by Bumrungrad International (BIL), one of the most noted hospital management companies in Asia.
Mafraq Hospital physicians are amongst the best in their specialist fields with international qualifications and world class expertise. The medical staff is supported by a capable and professional nursing and paramedical staff who are well trained and motivated to provide quality healthcare services. Emiratization is extremely important to Mafraq Hospital and many of the hospital's highly skilled physicians are UAE Nationals. The hospital also believes in customer service excellence and in providing quality healthcare with integrity and service excellence in a caring environment.
About the SEHASEHA HealthSystem and the Abu Dhabi Health Services CompanyAbu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC (SEHASEHA)
SEHASEHA is health in Arabic. The Abu Dhabi Health Services CompanyAbu Dhabi Health Services Company PJSC - whose marketing identity is SEHASEHA - is an independent, public joint stock company created to develop the curative activities of the public healthcare system in Abu Dhabi. The company owns and operates all the public hospitals and clinics of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi which together make up the SEHASEHA HealthSystem. SEHASEHA is committed to providing high quality, cost effective healthcare in a socially responsible way on par with international standards measured through accessibility, affordability, choice and satisfaction. SEHASEHA has partnered with internationally recognized hospital managers to achieve these goals. These include Johns Hopkins Medicine International, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, VAMED, Vienna Medical University and Bumrungrad International. SEHASEHA owns and operates 12 hospitals with 2,644 beds, 62 ambulatory care, family care and urgent care centers and 2 blood banks. SEHASEHA is one of the largest integrated healthcare providers in the Middle East with 16,500 doctors, nurses, ancillary care and administrative personnel in its employ. For more information, visit www.seha.ae.
For media information contact:
Margaret Flanagan
ASDA'A Burson- Marsteller
Tel: +971 4 3344550
Mobile: +971 55 418 5732
Email: m.flanagan@asdaa.com
Amanda Banham
Director of Marketing & PR
Mafraq Hospital
Tel: +971 2 5012443
Email: abanham@mafraq-hosp.ae
© Press Release 2010
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