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Lack or inadequate Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) in Healthcare Facilities (HCF) have been reported severally as having an impact on the transmission of infectious diseases or outbreak of infectious diseases in a healthcare setting. The study conducted in Bayelsa State, South-South of Nigeria was an institutional-based survey that utilized observational checklist and a key-informant interview for data collection. Eleven (11) HCFs comprising of 6(54.5%) primary healthcare facilities and 5(45.5%) secondary healthcare facilities was used for this study. While 8(72.7%) of the HCFs were owned by the Government 3(27.3%) were owned by private individuals and faith-based organizations. All HCF had tap water drawn from borehole as their main source of water supply but only 4(36.4%) have alternative source of water supply. All water supplies were within the HCFs and are less than 500 m from the point of care. Only 1(9.1%) out of 11 HCFs surveyed lacked water at the time of assessment. The type of toilet present in all the HCFs is the flush (water system) and they are all within the HCF premises. Over ninety percent (90.9%) of the HCFs had no toilet designed for those with limited mobility. Wash hand basins for hand hygiene were found to be available in all the HCFs except 1(9.1%). Four (4) (36.4%) of the HCFs had separate bins for the different categories of healthcare wastes while 7(63.6%) had not. There were posters of handwashing and disease prevention in 6(54.5%) of the HCFs. In all the HCFs, there was no WASH monitoring team. The study therefore advocates for WASH monitoring team and focal persons in all the HCFs to ensure adequate provision of WASH services. The study equally recommends further study involving more HCFs and assessing the constraints militating against the provision, use and maintenance of WASH infrastructures at HCFs in Bayelsa State.
Ogbonna et al. (Wed,) studied this question.