Prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections – patient and staff safety

The scientific-practical conference "Prevention and control of healthcare-associated infections" brought together specialists from various medical fields at Nicolae Testemitanu State University of Medicine and Pharmacy. Participants discussed the impact of infections on the safety of patients and healthcare professionals and the importance of implementing effective protocols to prevent and control them.

In the opinion of Health Minister Ala Nemerenco, one of the objectives of the institution represented by her is the modernization of the health system by implementing advanced technologies that improve the quality of healthcare and indirectly contribute to the reduction of healthcare-associated infections. "Patient safety is paramount globally, regardless of a country's income. We must make every effort to avoid complications, medical errors and risks that our patients face in medical institutions. Globally, the costs associated with deaths from hospital-acquired infections are alarming. In the US, financial expenses are estimated between 28 and 45 billion dollars, and in Europe – about 7 billion euros annually. In the Republic of Moldova, we do not have a clear assessment of the costs generated by healthcare-associated infections, as these infections, complications or deaths are not recorded. Last year, 2119 cases of healthcare-associated infections were reported for the first time, " Ala Nemerenco stated. In this context, the Minister called on hospital managers to systematically report these cases, as the accumulated data will help avoid risks and ultimately save lives.

In turn, Rector Emil Ceban has stressed that a functional health system depends mostly on qualified human resources: "Continuing education and training of specialists are essential to ensure a high level of medical care, and the University plays a crucial role in this process, preparing competent teachers who contribute to the training and professional development of future specialists".

Professor Ceban has noted that healthcare-associated infections affect millions of patients annually and the health system costs are significant. In the Republic of Moldova, although studies have been conducted, the data do not fully reflect the true extent of the incidence of healthcare-associated infections. At the same time, one of the most pressing challenges is antimicrobial resistance, which reduces the effectiveness of treatments, complicates the infection management process, and increases the risk of severe complications.

According to World Health Organization (WHO) Representative in the Republic of Moldova Miljana Grbic, the main responsibility of doctors is not to harm, because patient safety is a priority. "Without adequate measures, the consequences can be devastating, amplifying epidemics at community level. Recent examples such as the COVID-19 pandemic, seasonal diseases and antimicrobial resistance highlight the seriousness of this situation," the WHO representative emphasized.

Nicolae Jelamschi, director of the National Public Health Agency (NPHA), also believes that considerable efforts are being made to strengthen the capacities of laboratory diagnosis and the normative basis in the field of epidemiological surveillance, infection prevention and control, combating antimicrobial resistance, training and professional development of specialists. "The implementation of these measures allows the continuous strengthening of capacities in the field and the establishment of a consolidated system at all stages of healthcare provision", the NPHA manager specified.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Health Angela Paraschiv, moderator of the event, mentioned that healthcare-associated infections were an extremely important and topical issue, posing a major threat, especially for hospitalized patients who are vulnerable and sensitive. "Early detection and accurate diagnosis are essential to prevent complications and provide quality medical care. It is vital that medical staff be prepared to implement effective infection prevention and control measures," the Secretary of State noted.

The scientific forum took place in the context of the World Patient Safety Day, marked annually on September 17, and was organized by the Epidemiology Discipline within the Preventive Medicine Department of Nicolae Testemitanu University in partnership with the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova, NPHA, the WHO Office in Moldova and the Association for Infection Prevention and Control.