DOH promotes cleaner hospitals in new campaign

Fifty percent of Filipinos who get hospitalized are confined in public hospitals, many of which are ill-maintained and disorderly. The poor sanitation of these hospitals are usually the source of complaint by patients and their caregivers, Health Secretary Dr. Enrique Ona admitted. This is why the Department of Health on Tuesday launched the "Ospital ng PiNOY: Malinis at Mabango" campaign, which aims to improve the services of government-run hospitals by making sure that the hospitals and its surroundings are clean, orderly and odor-free. "The face of the government health program is the face of our hospitals, especially government hospitals. Hospitals should be centers of wellness and not of sickness, hence the need to maintain always a clean environment," Ona said at a press conference. Ona met with hospital directors of DOH-retained hospitals and challenged the authorities to keep their hospitals in tip-top shape, to maintain the highest degree of hygiene in their work environment and to keep their hospitals at par with private hospitals. The campaign instructs hospitals to maintain cleanliness and orderliness in the rooms, wards, lobby, hallways and restrooms, including the outside perimeters of the hospital, parking areas and driveways. From the time of the campaign's launch, hospitals will be given at least two to three weeks to make the necessary adjustments and sanitation rules, after which a team from DOH will conduct random and unannounced spot check of hospitals. Hotlines and complaint desks will also be put into place to allow patients and other hospital visitors to give feedback and file complaints regarding the cleanliness of a hospital. Ona emphasized that the campaign is just the first step in overhauling the services of public hospitals nationwide. He said the department is working on a budget for the improvement of hospitals' facilities and equipment. "Hindi ibig sabihin na ang ating program is only cleanliness (This does not mean that our program is only about cleanliness). It includes a comprehensive improvement of the whole hospital's programs and practices," he said. After the press conference, Ona visited a ward in San Lorenzo Hospital, where patients were waiting in beds along the corridors. One patient he talked to was suffering from gastroenteritis. "[Itong pasyente ay may] gastroenteritis, malamang dahil sa kanyang iniinom o pagkain (This patient has gastroenteritis, which might be caused by the food or drink she takes)," he said. "That's why it's imporant to also look at the water supply and how the food is being prepared." He added that good sanitation is the key to preventing more patients from being confined. "Kung gustong mapakonti ang pasyente, mag-focus on preventive measures, like addressing water and sewerage system and inspecting our food stores, lalu na 'yung usong-uso na mga sari-sari stores and street food." (If we want to lessen the number of patients, we should focus on preventive measures like addressing the water and sewerage system and inspecting our food stores, especially popular sari-sari stores and street food.) — RSJ, GMANews.TV