Better management of pressure injuries at health clinics

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 8 (Bernama) – The Health Ministry (MOH) is issuing a pressure injury handbook to all health clinics to better manage wounds such as bedsore as well skin and tissue wounds.  

Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said the handbook produced by the Kuala Lumpur Hospital Pressure Injury Prevention Committee had been updated in the second edition and translated into Bahasa Malaysia.

"This is a great initiative and is timely as the 10th Circular of the Health director-general dated 16 Oct 2011 spelt out the policy of forming wound care committees and reference terms at hospitals in Malaysia. 

"This top down initiative is the first of its kind in the world involving wound management. This shows the great importance accorded to wound management and pressure injury prevention by the MOH," he said when officiating 2018 World Wide Pressure Injury Prevention Day, here, today.

Also present were Medical Development Division deputy director Datin Dr Siti Asmah Samat, Malaysian Society of Wound Care Professionals (MSWCP) president and committee chairman, Dr Harikrishna KR Nair and Kuala Lumpur Hospital director, Dr Heric Coray. 

Some 170 participants from MOH took part in the celebration of 2018 World Wide Pressure Injury Prevention Day.

In addition, Dr Dzulkefly said MSWCP also contributed 1147 books entitled 'Pencegahan Kecederaan Tekanan' in Bahasa Malaysia which were distributed to all the health clinics. 

He said, MSWCP also donated RM20,000 worth of wound care kits equipped with advanced wound care products which would be distributed to health clinics at the forefront of primary wound care. 

"MSWCP has spent more than RM1.8 million on the wound care kits since 2012. I am happy that we have MSWCP, a non-govermental organisation (NGO) collaborating with the government in spearheading wound care management," he said. 

-- BERNAMA