Infection Control Department

1. History

• 1998: The Infection Control Department was established under Decision No. 1072/1998/QD-BYT by the Minister of Health. Initially, it managed the Laundry Center and Medical Equipment Sterilization Center with 43 staff members.
• 2000: Established the Infection Control Unit to implement infection control protocols as mandated by the Ministry of Health. Managed and operated the Central Sterilization Unit in the new building (Vietnam-Japan building), providing centralized disinfection and sterilization for the entire 1,400-bed hospital.
• 2002: Established the Chemical Unit, responsible for preparing, distributing, and managing disinfectant chemicals and medical cotton/gauze for the entire hospital.
• 2010: Implemented the ISO 2001 quality management program. The Director of Bach Mai Hospital officially renamed the department from "Anti-infection Department" to "Infection Control Department" to align with its specialized functions and duties.

2. Functions and Missions
2.1. Administration and Infection Control
In coordination with relevant Institutes, Departments, and Boards, the department performs the following:

• Develops and disseminates guidelines, regulations, protocols, and plans for infection control.
• Monitors healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) and infectious diseases with epidemic potential.
• Supervises compliance with infection control practices, including hand hygiene, standard precautions, transmission-based precautions, and the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
• Manages the processing of medical devices and equipment.
• Manages medical linen and medical waste.
• Ensures hospital environmental hygiene and food safety.
• Prevents and manages occupational exposure to microorganisms.
• Manages chemicals and supplies used in infection control.
• Establishes surveillance systems to detect and evaluate HAIs among patients and healthcare workers.
• Organizes training programs and communication campaigns to enhance infection control knowledge and skills.
• Monitors antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) status.

2.2. Disinfection, Sterilization, and Linen Management

• Manages sterile medical equipment and linen hospital-wide.
• Organizes the packaging, disinfection, and sterilization of medical instruments, cotton, and gauze for diagnosis and treatment.
• Handles centralized transportation and delivery of linen and medical materials to various departments.

2.3. Hospital Management

• Implements cost-saving measures and ensures the safe management of assigned equipment and supplies.

2.4. Equipment Maintenance and Repair

• Operates the boiler system to provide steam and hot water for the hospital.
• Monitors and maintains departmental machinery and equipment.

3. Notable Achievements and Activities

• Developed a comprehensive set of infection control protocols as a foundation for hospital-wide training and implementation.
• Standardized sterilization processes across the hospital, processing 1.6 to 1.7 million sets/items annually.
• Significantly improved healthcare workers' infection control skills, contributing to lower HAI rates (from 6.8% in 2001 to 5.3% in 2004).
• Maintained a hand hygiene compliance rate above 90% and medical waste segregation compliance above 95% (2022-2025).
• Completed 40 scientific research projects (3 Ministerial-level, 32 Grassroots-level, and 5 International collaborations).
• International Cooperation: Collaborates with the U.S. CDC, the German Society for Hospital Hygiene, the Japanese Society for Infection Prevention and Control, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

4. Photos of Activities