Risk Management and Healthcare Policy (Apr 2022)
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene and Infection Prevention and Control in Jordanian Hospitals in the Context of COVID-19: A National Assessment
Abstract
Rami Saadeh,1 Yousef Khader,1 Mohammad Alyahya,2 Majid Al-Samawi,1 Mohammed Z Allouh3,4 1Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 2Department of Health Management and Policy, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan; 3Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates; 4Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Jordan University of Science and Technology, Irbid, JordanCorrespondence: Mohammed Z Allouh, Department of Anatomy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University, P. O. Box: 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates, Tel +97 137 137 551, Email [email protected]: To identify areas that need improvement in Jordanian health centers regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) programs; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services; and other protective measures, especially in the context of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).Methods: This is a national assessment study that comprised hospitals of different sectors in Jordan, including, Ministry of Health (MoH), private, and military hospitals. The study included 23 Jordanian hospitals. Assessment tools were developed and adapted mainly from the WASH Facility Improvement Tool (WASH FIT) and other tools. Hospitals were assessed to meet targets based on whether indicators were fully met, partially met, or not met.Results: The mean percentage of the 150 indicators that met the standards was 83.2% (72.6% for MoH, 84.5% for private, and 90.4% for military hospitals). The percentage of indicators, both WASH/IPC and training and education indicators, that met the targets were higher in military hospitals than in MoH and private hospitals. However, in context of COVID-19, only 64.7% of indicators related to precautionary measures were met by all hospitals.Conclusion: The data available on WASH/IPC in Jordan are scarce, and the study findings will help in preventing severe consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. There is scope for improvement in many WASH/IPC aspects, and urgent actions should be taken, especially to fill the gaps in COVID-19 precautionary measures.Keywords: COVID-19, healthcare, hospitals, infection control, waste management
