ABSTRACT
Introduction Compliance to hand hygiene (HH) is an important measure in preventing infections to patients in health-care settings. Wellness and safety of patients and health-care workers (HCWs) can be achieved by promoting best practices in infection control through education and advocacy. Aims and Objectives To assess the compliance to HH among all cadres of HCWs and its association with hospital-acquired infection (HAI) in patients. Materials and Methods A prospective, observational study was conducted for a period of 5 years (January 2014 to December 2018) in Neuro Trauma intensive care unit. A standard checklist based on World Health Organization's 5 Moments for Hand Hygiene was used as a tool to measure the HH compliance. Results HAI rate was found to be directly proportional to the compliance to HH. Reduction in HAI rates was reported when there was an increase in HH compliance. HAI of 4.25% was found to be lowest in the year 2015 with the compliance to HH of 63.65%. The HH compliance was also found to be highest (64.63%) in the year 2016 followed by 64.12% in the year 2017. During this period HAI rates were 4.35% and 4.8%, respectively. When the HH compliance declined in the year 2018 to 53.95%, there was an increase in the rate of HAI to 6.9%. Conclusion It could be concluded that HH compliance was associated with the decrease in HAIs. HH could be a simple and cost-effective method in the prevention of HAIs.
ABSTRACT
This paper seeks to examine the provisions for extended producer responsibility (EPR) within the Malaysian environmental and waste management policies and to determine its existing practice and future prospects in Malaysia. Malaysian waste generation has been increasing drastically where solid waste generation was estimated to increase from about 9.0 million tonnes in 2000 to about 10.9 million tonnes in 2010, to about 12.8 million tonnes in 2015 and finally to about 15.6 million tonnes in 2020. Malaysian e-waste was estimated to be about 652 909 tonnes in 2006 and was estimated to increase to about 706 000 tonnes in 2010 and finally to about 1.2 million tonnes in 2020. The projected increasing generation of both solid waste and scheduled wastes is expected to burden the country's resources and environment in managing these wastes in a sustainable manner. The concept of EPR is provided for in the Malaysia waste management system via the Environmental Quality Act 1974 and the Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Act 2007. However, these provisions in the policy are generic in nature without relevant regulations to enable its enforcement and as such the concept of EPR still remains on paper whereas the existing practice of EPR in Malaysia is limited through voluntary participation. In conclusion, policy trends of EPR in Malaysia seem to indicate that Malaysia may be embarking on the path towards EPR through the enactment of an EPR regulation.
