While Israel is renowned for a variety of reasons, the cleanliness of its hospitals does not rank high. Comparatively, nations like Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Norway, Germany, South Korea, Australia, Singapore, and the United Kingdom far outperform in this field. Consequently, the repercussions for patients in Israeli healthcare facilities are grave, with an approximate 4,500 to 6,000 annual incidences of hospital-acquired infections (HAIs), contributing to dire patient outcomes.
These infections, colloquially denoted as nosocomial infections, predominantly affect elderly patients and individuals with compromised immune systems, although patients of any age remain susceptible if their infection is antibiotic-resistant. Yet, there is a silver lining. According to Prof. Yehuda Carmeli, Head of the Health Ministry’s Institute for Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control, the last 15 years have witnessed a 50%-70% decline in HAIs owing to augmented efforts and improved awareness of infection prevention strategies.
Several circumstances contribute to Israel’s relatively unsanitary healthcare conditions. Most notably, the World Health Organization’s safe threshold of 85% hospital bed occupancy is often overridden, with peak occupancy rates reaching over 100% in certain instances. Challenges such as an accelerated patient rotation, lack of staffing and budget for well-trained cleaning teams, and lack of single-patient rooms further exacerbate the issue.
Infection control measures taken at the ministry level have been appreciable, albeit insufficient. Instituting infection prevention units, managing bottlenecks, and bolstering hospital managements’ attention to sanitation are steps in the right direction. However, restrictions must be put in place to safeguard areas of patient care from infection, and cleaning staff must be exclusively dedicated to curbing the HAIs.
Addressing the cause of such infections, Prof. Carmeli stressed that HAIs often arise due to equipment contamination or patient-to-patient infection within the hospital environment. Risks from hospital visitors or staffers are minimum.
The prevalence of HAIs in Israel falls lower than that of Greece or Italy, bearing testament to the continued strides made by the Health Ministry since 2008. However, the professor emphasized the need for the Health and Finance Ministries to allocate a dedicated budget aimed at preventing hospital infections in the 2025 state budget. Despite the current allocation by the Health Ministry, Prof. Carmeli insists on an augmented annual budget of NIS 500 million to address the daily reality of antibiotic-resistant infections due to overcrowding and inadequate cleanliness.
Nonetheless, the COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for enhanced attention to HAIs. There continues to be an indisputable need for more medical teams, sanitation squads, and hospital beds. Indeed, the healthcare budget needs substantial bolstering to ensure patient safety, infection prevention and sound healthcare outcomes in Israel.
Source: https://www.jpost.com/health-and-wellness/article-813111