Hygiene and monitoring of medical facilities
Hygiene "hygieia means the Greek goddess of health" and is the science of maintaining the health of individuals and the general public. It includes both the prevention of possible damage to health and the promotion of health.
The Infection Protection Act (IfSG) came into force in 2001. Since then, it has been the task of the health authorities to monitor and advise not only hospitals but also outpatient medical facilities such as outpatient surgery and dialysis facilities. They are also authorised to monitor medical and dental practices as well as alternative practitioners. The same legal and professional principles apply in this area as in inpatient facilities.
The aim of hygiene advice and monitoring by the ÖGD is in particular to prevent or reduce health risks to the population in hospitals, rehabilitation clinics, retirement and nursing homes, medical and dental practices, practices of other human medical professions, emergency services and patient transport facilities as well as in other inpatient and outpatient healthcare facilities.
Hospitals
The IfSG obliges hospitals(Section 23 IfSG) to draw up a hygiene plan and to record and assess infections acquired during a hospital stay (nosocomial).
Hospitals in the Saarpfalz district
Further information:
Outpatient surgery
In addition to the procedures carried out in hospitals, a large number of operations are also performed on an outpatient basis. To ensure that there is no increased risk to patients in this area, the same hygiene requirements apply as in hospitals(Section 23 IfSG).
Medical practices
Die hygienische Überwachung durch das Gesundheitsamt erfolgt bei Arztpraxen gemäß § 23 IfSG, § 36 IfSG, dem Gesetz über den öffentlichen Gesundheitsdienst (§ 12 ÖGDG) und der Verordnung über die Hygiene und Infektionsprävention in medizinischen Einrichtungen ( § 14 MedHygVO).
Further information:
- Sample hygiene plan for medical practices (Centre of Competence (CoC) for Hygiene and Medical Devices of the Associations of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians and the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians)
- Hygiene plan and guidelines for dental practices (German Dental Association)
Dialysis and blood donation facilities
Dialysis centres and blood donation services are also an important part of medical care in the Saarpfalz district. Similar to other medical facilities, these centres are also subject to infection hygiene monitoring by the public health department in accordance with Section 12 of the Public Health Service Act (ÖGDG).
Information for citizens on donating blood:
"Donating blood saves lives" is a common slogan that emphasises the importance of blood donations. Blood donations save lives, as blood cannot be produced artificially and is needed for many medical treatments such as operations, organ transplants and the treatment of cancer patients. A single blood donation can save up to three lives, as the individual blood components (e.g. red blood cells, blood plasma, platelets) can be used for different patients.
Rescue services and patient transport
Acute life-sustaining measures always take priority in the rescue service. Nevertheless, suitable hygiene measures to prevent infections must not be neglected in order not to jeopardise patients and staff. Accordingly, the compliance with hygiene requirements for emergency services and patient transport is also monitored in terms of infection hygiene in accordance with Section 12 of the Public Health Service Act (ÖGDG).