Many infections still contracted while undergoing treatment

Patients remain subject to infections even while undergoing treatment, and health services may become a problem to the patient, Parliamentary Secretary for Community Care Mario Galea said.

His comments come a week after the outbreak of a bacterial infection at Mater Dei Hospital. 11 patients, eight of which were in intensive care, carried the bacteria Klebsiella pneumonia that is very resistance to antibiotics.

Galea said that a high percentage of accidents are caused by infections contracted while receiving treatment. "Because of infections, patients may pass through additional suffering and, in certain instances also lead to death," he said.

"As professionals in the health sector, the general public trusts us and never expects such accidents to occur when they are receiving treatment," Galea said. "When this happens, one loses faith in the health services". 

Galea acknowledged that this a worldwide problem, taking place in highly developed countries. According to the World Health Organisation, some 1.4 million people suffer from infections acquired while receiving treatment.

The parliamentary secretary said that before, people accepted that patients might acquire infections while undergoing medical treatment even though there already existed ways and means to prevent such infections. 

"Today the idea about prevention of infections has drastically changed. Every infection can be avoided unless there is a specific reason," Galea said, while encouraging increase of awareness about practices that can help to reduce infections. 

He also highlighted the importance of patients' relatives understanding the importance of washing their hands.

Galea added that in order to move forward in the protection of patients, there has to be a holistic input by all parties - including doctors, nurses, paramedics, care workers and cleaners. 

"It is important to reflect, ask and discuss when an infection is acquired. The idea is not to point fingers at, but to understand what happened and how it happened. This would help in the prevention of infections in the future," Galea said.