"Clean Hands - Say Hi": Spreading the culture of patient safety through hand hygiene practices
On May 8, 2026, University Medical Center Ho Chi Minh City (UMC) organized a program responding to World Hand Hygiene Day 2026 with the theme "Clean Hands - Say Hi". This is an annual activity to raise awareness, reinforce knowledge, and enhance hand hygiene compliance among healthcare workers, contributing to ensuring patient safety and preventing infection risks in the hospital environment.
In the medical environment, hand hygiene is one of the fundamental measures in infection control, contributing to ensuring safety for patients and medical staff. Responding to the World Health Organization's message "Action saves lives," this year's program emphasizes the role of hand hygiene in infection prevention and building a safe treatment environment. Every hand hygiene action at the right time not only helps prevent infection but also demonstrates a culture of safety in patient care.
This is also an occasion for the Hospital's Infection Control network to look back at the implementation of hand hygiene activities across departments, rooms, and units. Simultaneously, the program contributes to sharing experiences, reinforcing the spirit of "clean hands - safe care," and spreading the patient safety culture across the entire system.
Speaking at the program, Dr. Huỳnh Minh Tuấn, MD - Head of the Infection Control Department - Management and Operation of the Microbiology Department at UMC, acknowledged the active participation of departments, rooms, and units in the series of activities responding to World Hand Hygiene Day 2026. Accordingly, hand hygiene is one of the core solutions in infection control, which needs to be maintained regularly, at the right time, and according to the correct procedure in all patient care and treatment activities.
This year's series of activities was deployed by the Hospital from March 10 to May 8, 2026, with many practical contents. The contest "Say Hi – Standard Hands Step by Step" focused on training, education, and evaluating hand hygiene knowledge for medical staff across 3 facilities. The training activity involved the participation of 118 members of the Infection Control network; the training program reached 3,294 medical staff.
The hand hygiene knowledge evaluation section recorded 60 teams from 3 facilities, featuring content on practicing the hand hygiene procedure and answering interview questions regarding the moments for hand hygiene in patient care.
A prominent highlight of this year's program was the contest "Clean Hands - Say Hi with AI," with the participation of 33 teams. The entries demonstrated the combination of professional knowledge, creative spirit, and the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in health education communication, contributing to innovating infection control communication formats and increasing the effectiveness of knowledge accessibility in the medical environment.
Closing the series of activities, the Organizing Committee announced the collectives that achieved outstanding achievements in the professional and communication creativity contests.
"Hand Hygiene Knowledge Evaluation" Contest
Group 1 – Resuscitation and Surgery Block: Obstetrics and Gynecology Anesthesia and Resuscitation Unit
Group 2 – Clinical and Pre-clinical Block: Neonatology Department
Group 3 – Administrative Block: Nursing Department
Group 4 – Facility Block: Facility 2
"Clean Hands - Say Hi with AI" Contest
First Prize: Department of Diagnostic Radiology
Second Prize: Colorectal Department
Third Prize: Department of Anesthesiology and Resuscitation
Consolation Prizes: Quality Management Department; Obstetrics and Gynecology Anesthesia and Resuscitation Unit; Department of Cardiology
Through the series of activities responding to World Hand Hygiene Day 2026, UMC continues to affirm its orientation of building a safe hospital environment, putting patients at the center, and constantly elevating the quality of medical care, contributing to shaping the patient safety culture into a sustainable value in all care and treatment activities.
