Hospitals take measures to prevent surgical site infections

Many hospitals and clinics in Vietnam are taking measures to prevent and reduce the number of hospital-acquired infections.

  • 29 workers hospitalized in Ha Nam due to food poisoning
  • Japan supports Vietnamese military hospital
  • Cuban medical experts work with Hospital 304

Binh Dan Hospital in HCM City, for instance, carries out surveillance and prevention strictly as it performs an average of 150 surgeries a day, Dr Nguyen Phuc Cam Hoang, the hospital’s deputy director, said at a conference on surgical site infections held recently in Ho Chi Minh City.

The hospital’s department for surveillance and monitoring of hospital-acquired infections also works with its anesthesiology and recovery department to ensure safety in surgeries.  

“Hospital-acquired infections are one of the challenges for the health sector in developing countries,” Hoang said, adding that infections increase complications, risks of mortality, length of stay, and medical costs.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), surgical site infections are caused by bacteria that enter through incisions during surgery.

They threaten the lives of millions of patients each year and contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance. In low- and middle-income countries, 11% of patients who undergo surgery are infected during the process.

But surgical site infections are not just a problem for poor countries. In the US, they contribute to patients spending a total of more than 400,000 extra days in hospitals at a cost of an additional US$10 billion per year.

Dr Le Thi Anh Thu, head of Cho Ray Hospital’s infection control department and chairwoman of the HCM City Infection Control Society, said that a survey by the Ministry of Health found that surgical wound infections were the second-most common type of hospital-acquired infections in Vietnam.

At Cho Ray Hospital, the rate of surgical wound infections accounted for 1.24% of the total of hospital-acquired infections last year, according to Thu.

Forty per cent to 60% of surgical wound infections are preventable if regulations about “super clean” operation theatres and disinfected devices for surgeries are closely followed.

Dr Nguyen Thi Thanh Ha of Pham Ngoc Thach University of Medicine said that facilities within hospitals where surgical operations occur are performed in a sterile environment.

Hospitals should set up a central sterilisation division to oversee the prevention of hospital-acquired infections, and operating teams should follow World Health Organisation (WHO) safe surgery guidelines to help reduce surgical infections, according to Ha.

According to WHO, its guidelines are valid for any country and suitable to local adaptations, and take account of the strength of available scientific evidence, the cost and resource implications, and patient values and preferences.

Binh Dan Hospital held the conference in co-operation with the HCM City Infection Control Society.

VNS

Other News

Communication drive promoted for 500-day campaign to locate, identify fallen soldiers' remains

Communication drive promoted for 500-day campaign to locate, identify fallen soldiers' remains

Under the plan, all central and local media outlets are required to launch columns on the campaign, maintain regular coverage, and produce at least five to seven in-depth reports each month in key search areas. Media agencies will also be encouraged to gather and verify valuable information and develop high-quality products in both Vietnamese and foreign languages, including feature articles, documentaries, reports and short videos.

First Vietnamese pagoda in Tokyo inaugurated

First Vietnamese pagoda in Tokyo inaugurated

Ambassador Pham Quang Hieu expressed confidence that the establishment will serve as a strong spiritual anchor for Vietnamese people living in Japan while contributing to friendship and cultural exchanges between the two countries.

National drive kicks off to protect, support children online

National drive kicks off to protect, support children online

Cyberspace now runs through children’s learning, entertainment, and daily lives, but warned it is laced with dangerous content, online insults, threats, and seemingly harmless clicks that can trigger fraud, data breaches, and risks children who are not yet equipped to handle.

Vietnam, RoK scholars discuss diplomatic perspectives amid modern East Asia

Vietnam, RoK scholars discuss diplomatic perspectives amid modern East Asia

A scholar has stressed the need for Vietnam to make use of cooperation opportunities arising from the RoK’s foreign policy, particularly in semiconductor technology, artificial intelligence (AI), supply chains, digital transformation, and green energy, as well as chances in multilateral diplomacy.

'Barefoot inventor' and global ambitions

'Barefoot inventor' and global ambitions

Pham Van Hat is best known as the creator of the made-in-Vietnam “Seed Sowing Robot,” now exported to 15 countries, alongside dozens of practical inventions that have eased labour for thousands of farmers.

Safeguarding fairness for creators, future of Vietnam's culture

Safeguarding fairness for creators, future of Vietnam's culture

Films, music, television programmes, e-books, video games, journalistic works, images and creative data can now be copied, edited and redistributed within minutes. While copyright violations were once linked mainly to pirated discs or counterfeit books, infringements have shifted online with faster speed, wider scale and greater anonymity.

Flower tribute ceremony honours President Ho Chi Minh in Russia

Flower tribute ceremony honours President Ho Chi Minh in Russia

Consul General Nguyen Viet Kien stressed President Ho Chi Minh’s reputation and career transcended Vietnam’s borders to inspire liberation movements worldwide, and that his ideas on the right to self-determination, peace, and friendship among nations remain deeply relevant today.

Education ministry targets five digital technology incubators at universities

Education ministry targets five digital technology incubators at universities

A key target under the new plan is the establishment of five digital technology incubators, or Deeptech Hubs, at universities and research institutes with strong potential. The education ministry also plans to launch a training programme for 1,000 outstanding technology entrepreneurs and develop criteria for selecting and supporting startup ecosystems within educational institutions.

Vietnam steps up implementation of ethnic affairs strategy through 2030

Vietnam steps up implementation of ethnic affairs strategy through 2030

To accelerate the implementation of the the Ethnic Affairs Strategy by 2030, with a vision toward 2045, the Prime Minister requested ministries, agencies and local authorities to continue thoroughly carrying out the Party and State’s policies on ethnic affairs, enhancing the effectiveness of State management and strengthening oversight of policy implementation.

Security preparations reviewed for APEC 2027 in Phu Quoc

Security preparations reviewed for APEC 2027 in Phu Quoc

The team examined the APEC 2027 Convention Centre, where main conference activities are scheduled; Sun Serenia Hospital, designated to provide healthcare and emergency medical services for delegates; provincial road DT.975, which connects Phu Quoc International Airport to the convention centre; and the area surrounding Phu Quoc International Airport.