The Hamad Medical Corporation’s (HMC) Women’s Hospital (WH) has cautioned the public against using certain decorations for patient rooms and other unsafe practices to avoid compromising patient care and to ensure a clean and safe environment.
Dr Huda Abdulla Hussain Saleh, WH senior consultant for Quality and Safety, said maintaining a clean environment in patient care facilities prevents the risk of transmitting infections to patients who have weaker immune systems, such as women who have just given birth and their babies.
“Our patient rooms and units are designed in accordance with evidence-based infection control measures, in order to ensure we provide the safest care possible for our patients.
“These measures require strict adherence to high standards of cleanliness and proper ventilation of patient areas, therefore, WH restricts the amount of items that can be brought from the outside. We also strive to ensure that patients avoid contact with visitors and very young children who are sick,” Saleh said.
As part of standard infection control precautions, WH does not allow decorating patient rooms with carpets, posters, curtains, stands, vases, aquariums, candles, balloons or any kind of furniture and interior design elements that may support the growth of disease-causing microbes.
Carpets, curtains, and other furniture have been documented to harbour large numbers of microbes. Bringing in any electrical equipment is also prohibited as it may interfere with the hospital’s electrical system and other life support equipment, and could cause electrical malfunctions.
“Patients can easily acquire infections through physical contact, as well as through harmful chemicals, bacteria, and viruses that may spread in the air. There is also a risk of transmitting infections if patients are visited by sick people or by very young children,” added Dr Zeena Saeed al-Mansoori, WH clinical director of Operational Affairs.
Al-Mansoori also stressed the importance of hand hygiene in preventing the spread of infections within the hospital. To facilitate hand-washing, HMC has provided dedicated sinks or hand sanitisers at patient room entrances and other prominent locations throughout all its facilities.
Small flower bouquets and small chocolate boxes are allowed in patient rooms. However, placing any gifts, flowers, and decorations in the hospital corridors outside the patient rooms is not allowed. Aside from being unhygienic, it is a fire hazard and can also block passages and restricts access to patients by members of the healthcare team.
Ghislaine van den Born, WH assistant executive director for Support Services, said: “We strongly encourage the public to help us maintain a clean and safe environment for all who come to our hospital. We urge families not to spend large sums on employing companies to provide decorations that do not comply with our infection control guidelines or could damage the patient rooms during installation.”