Government to Implement Electronic Platform for Infection Monitoring
In a significant move to enhance patient safety, the government has unveiled plans to introduce an electronic platform dedicated to the monitoring of healthcare-associated infections. This initiative is set to transform the way hospitals track and manage infection risks within their facilities.
Elisavet Constantinou, the health ministry’s medical services director, highlighted the current gap in Cyprus’s healthcare system, noting the absence of continuous surveillance of infections contracted by patients during their medical care. While some data is recorded and shared with the World Health Organisation, it lacks comprehensiveness due to voluntary participation from hospitals.
Markella Markou, an officer at the infectious diseases epidemiological surveillance and control unit, emphasized the need for an organized system. She revealed that the anticipated monitoring platform is slated to be operational by the end of next year. This technological advancement promises to streamline the surveillance process, allowing for real-time data analysis by the health ministry.
The urgency for this development is underscored by a recent report from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), which placed Cyprus at the top of the EU chart for healthcare-associated infections. The report indicated that 13.8 percent of patients in Cyprus experience such infections, a figure significantly higher than the EU and European Economic Area median of 6.8 percent.
Cyprus also leads in antimicrobial usage across the EU and EEA, with 56.5 percent of hospital patients receiving antimicrobial medication. This statistic is closely followed by Greece and Bulgaria, highlighting a broader issue of antimicrobial resistance within the region.
The contrast is stark when compared to countries like Latvia, Romania, and Bulgaria, which report the lowest prevalence of healthcare-associated infections in the EU and EEA. Similarly, Hungary, France, and Germany have the lowest rates of antimicrobial use, suggesting varying levels of success in infection control and medication practices across Europe.
The new electronic platform is expected to not only improve Cyprus’s standing but also serve as a model for other nations seeking to bolster their healthcare infection control measures.
