The University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City received the "Excellent Hand Hygiene 2025" award on 21/9 at the Ho Chi Minh City Infection Control Association's Scientific Conference. This is the first national award organized by the Vietnam Infection Control Society (VNICS) to promote effective hand hygiene practices for the safety of patients, healthcare workers, and the community.
The competition, which involved major hospitals across the country, consisted of two rigorous evaluation rounds. In the first round, facilities conducted self-assessments based on a set of criteria and provided supporting evidence. The second round involved on-site assessments by a panel of experts at the facilities that passed the first round, including Hong Ngoc Phuc Truong Minh General Hospital, Tropical Diseases Hospital, Trung Vuong Hospital, Tam Anh TP HCM Hospital, Cho Ray Hospital, Tu Du Hospital, and the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City.
Following the assessment, the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City was selected for the "Excellent Hand Hygiene 2025" award due to its comprehensive implementation of the World Health Organization's (WHO) multi-modal strategy.
The strategy encompasses modern infrastructure with over 2,000 hand hygiene stations equipped with alcohol-based hand rub and soap, along with 18 surgical hand hygiene stations meeting international standards to optimize infection control.
The hospital promotes communication programs using posters, leaflets, visual aids, and integrated information on the UMC Care and UMC Home apps, as well as its internal website. It also conducts regular training and has organized 15 programs in observance of World Hand Hygiene Day (5/5) annually since 2012.
In addition, the hospital carries out rigorous monitoring. It combines direct observation with camera surveillance and monitoring software to ensure objectivity and provide timely feedback to each department.
Furthermore, several scientific studies on hand hygiene have been published in reputable journals, affirming the hospital's sustainable infection control strategy.
 |
The assessment team from the Vietnam Infection Control Society conducts an on-site inspection of hand hygiene practices at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Hospital provided |
The assessment team from the Vietnam Infection Control Society conducts an on-site inspection of hand hygiene practices at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Hospital provided
Dr. Huynh Minh Tuan, Head of the Infection Control Department at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, said this achievement is a result of the Board of Directors' policy and the commitment of all staff. "We will continue to improve and build a sustainable safety culture, centered on the patient," Tuan said.
In Vietnam, a 2005 study by the Ministry of Health on 9,345 patients in 10 hospitals showed a 5.8% hospital-acquired infection rate. Hospital-acquired pneumonia accounted for 55% of these infections. Patients with hospital-acquired infections require treatment with newer, more expensive antibiotics.
Associate Professor Dr. Le Thi Anh Thu, President of the Vietnam Infection Control Society, stated that hand hygiene is one of the simplest yet most effective measures in preventing healthcare-associated infections.
Proper hand hygiene practices not only protect patients but also ensure the safety of healthcare workers, while improving the quality of care, according to Thu. Following the pandemic and the challenges of infection control, she emphasized the need for the health sector to strongly disseminate the message about hand hygiene, starting with individual units.
My Y
