The Health Bureau (SSM) said in a statement yesterday that it has called on residents to prioritise hand hygiene to prevent infections, in response to World Hand Hygiene Day on May 5.
According to the statement, the annual campaign initiated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) is themed “Action saves lives” this year. In order to tie in with the campaign, the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre held a promotional event in its lobby on Tuesday, featuring information booths, educational videos and a hand hygiene award ceremony for various clinical departments of the hospital, the statement noted.
Residents participated in a raft of interactive activities, including quizzes and hand-cleaning demonstrations led by healthcare workers, aimed at enhancing public awareness of proper hygiene practices, the statement said, adding that during the event, Tai Wa Hou, the public hospital’s acting director, said that proper hand hygiene is key to reducing healthcare-associated infections and safeguarding patient safety, adding that it requires consistent support from both management and frontline medical staff.
The statement underlined that certificates of recognition were also presented to the hospital’s clinical departments in a 2025 internal hand hygiene survey, recognising high compliance rates and improvements among clinical units.
The Health Bureau stressed that hand hygiene remains one of the most effective measures to prevent infections and said it will continue promoting awareness through training, monitoring and public education initiatives, the statement concluded.
This handout photo provided by the Health Bureau (SSM) yesterday shows local residents actively participating in the activities during the World Hand Hygiene Day in the lobby of the public Conde de São Januário Hospital Centre on Tuesday.
