MEPs declare war on killer hospital bugs (29/4/09)
April 29, 2009 at 2:42 pm Leave a comment
Measures aimed at slashing the number of infections picked up by hospital patients have been approved by the European Parliament this week. MEPs in Strasbourg voted in favour of a report to reduce the incidence of hospital-acquired infections like MRSA and E-coli by 20 per cent by the year 2015. The report includes plans for the recruitment of specialised nurses, better information for patients and more knowledge-sharing between member states.
In Ireland, hundreds of hospital patients die each year from infections unrelated to their original condition, and Irish rates of MRSA infection are among the highest in the world. Hospital infections can be transmitted by a number of means, such as the incorrect use of medical devices or a failure of hand hygiene. Other triggers include a high bed occupancy rate, an increase in patient transfers, inadequate staffing, and a growing resistance to viral antibiotics. In Ireland, this last trigger is a source of growing concern – figures from 2008 compiled by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre show resistance to antibiotics here is 4.5 times the EU average.
Munster MEP Kathy Sinnott, a member of the European Parliament’s Public Health Committee, said the report highlights the need to prioritise patient safety. ‘We need to improve both the cleanliness of our hospitals and the use of unnecessary antibiotics – this report is invaluable in showing how to achieve these aims,’ said the Independent MEP.
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