New Delhi: As the Covid-19 pandemic rages on, an AIIMS survey has found that almost half of the healthcare workers in India do not follow proper hand hygiene protocol. The healthcare workers are at an increased risk of getting infected with coronavirus and suboptimal preventive practices were identified as an important risk factor, the study noted.
“Only around half of the HCWs (healthcare workers) properly followed the steps of hand hygiene (52.82%) and ensured that they washed hands for at least 20 seconds,” the survey, done between July 30 and August 30 this year, found.
Other participants cited lack of knowledge, shortage of time due to a large number of patients, cumbersome nature of sanitizing hands a lot of times, and inability to check the time while washing hands as main reasons for not doing so properly.
Suboptimal compliance in preventive practices like handling PPE, distancing in cafeteria/duty rooms and hand hygiene is not uncommon in HCWs, it said.
The survey included a cross-section of HCWs belonging to various occupational roles and socio-cultural backgrounds across India through online platforms and telephonic interviews.
The responses of 956 participants were analysed. Various suboptimal practices like touching outer surface of masks, lack of social distancing in cafeteria and duty rooms, inability to wash hands for adequate duration and properly follow steps of hand hygiene, inability to don and doff PPE properly, carrying PPE to duty rooms before completely doffing, use of personal mobile phones during duty and improper sleep were identified.
“Lack of knowledge, long duty hours, shortage of PPE, high patient workload, and casual attitude regarding own safety were identified as important barriers. Resident doctors and paramedical staff in the age group 18–30 years reported lower adherence,” the survey noted.
A slightly larger number of participants (62.76%) didn’t touch their facial parts (eyes, nose, and mouth) without sanitizing hands. The remaining participants cited difficulty in changing habits and lack of knowledge as the main reasons for doing so.
Less than half of the participants maintained social distancing while talking to colleagues in duty rooms (41.95%), working (42.36%), or eating food (46.76%). The main reasons cited for not being able to do so were lack of space, difficulty in talking to others in PPE, difficulty in changing habit, and lack of knowledge.
The study was published in the journal Diabetes & Metabolic Syndrome: Clinical Research & Reviews.
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