Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 12 July 2022
138. Deputy Gino Kenny asked the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the recent call by an organisation (details supplied) for ventilation in hospitals to be examined to ensure the safety of nurses and midwives in their workplaces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37647/22]
View answerVentilation has remained one element of the broader infection prevention and control (IPC) response over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) kept emerging evidence and guidance in relation to the modes and mechanisms of COVID-19 transmission under constant review to ensure that the non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPI) used to mitigate and minimize the risks of viral transmission in different environments and settings (self-isolation if symptomatic, contact tracing and outbreak control, physical distancing and the avoidance of crowding especially indoors, face coverings, ventilation and hand and respiratory hygiene) were based on the best available evidence and public health experience of the management of cases and outbreaks. The NPHET’s advice to Government consistently and repeatedly highlighted the importance of ventilation as a key mitigation measure and as part of a layered approach. Appreciation of the role of ventilation has evolved in the context of developing experience and evidence. Guidance, training and measures implemented reflect this learning, and the importance of ventilation in mitigating the spread of COVID-19 is embedded in Government communications.
Sector Specific Guidance for Healthcare Settings
The HSE’s Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control Division (AMRIC) was established in early 2019, under the Office of the Chief Clinical Officer. HSE AMRIC provides expert advice on the practical and safe implementation and application of antimicrobial resistance and infection control measures in health and social care settings. HSE AMRIC guidance promotes adequate ventilation as one of a number of measures to reduce the risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2.
On 10th May 2022, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) published updated IPC guidance for acute hospitals and community settings:
www.hpsc.ie/a-z/respiratory/coronavirus/novelcoronavirus/guidance/infectionpreventionandcontrolguidance/buildingsandfacilitiesguidance/Infection%20Control%20Guiding%20Principles%20for%20Building.pdf
