Hospital chiefs in Magherafelt have launched a campaign to cut down on infections in local hospitals.
By Connla Young and Mary K Burke
The cleanyourhands campaign has been launched in desperate bid to rid the hospital of killer bugs.
The launch of the campaign comes as the County Derry Post reveals that three patients at the Mid Ulster Hospital have this year after catching the deadly Clostridium Difficile (C-diff) bug.
As part of the campaign people coming into the hospital are asked to check how well they have washed their hands by putting them in an ultra-violet light box which highlights bugs and germs.
Deputy director of Nursing at Mid Ulster Hospital Carolyn Kerr said cleanliness was the key to controlling killer bugs.
“This is to highlight the commitment of the trust to the importance of hand cleanliness for all staff and patients. We are moving the unit into the wards next week to highlight to patients and visitors exactly how important hand hygiene is in the prevention of the spread of infection within the hospital.”
 ”I think there has been a lot of coverage in the media about infection and this has raised people’s awareness and it is the single most important means of preventing infection. We don’t have dirty hospitals, it isn’t dirt on our hands but bacteria that cause infection and we want to highlight the importance of hand hygiene in the fight against infection.  We also operate a ‘bare below the elbow’ philosophy here with short coats for doctors, pharmacists etc. and the nurses all wear short sleeves, this is all important in our fight against the spread of infection.”
Bosses at the Northern Health and Social Care Trust have also introduced a series of restrictions at local hospitals including banning flowers and restricting visiting times.