History

Background: Establish defined IPC priorities, evidence-based standards, and a framework for local adaptation so important to infection control program. Guidelines can lead to desired IPC outcomes and quality improvement if they are successfully linked to education and training when implemented and monitored. Aim: To identify areas in which existing practices, infection control guidelines and instruction resources are generally satisfactory and where there are issues that should be addressed with new policies or programs. Methods: A Quantitative study design using purposive non-probability sampling methods was carried out to assess the hospital's infection control program among decision makers in Erbil teaching hospitals. The study was carried out from 1st June 2021 through 31st December 2021. Data collected by direct interview with eleven managers, assistant managers and heads of infection control units in hospitals. Results: We inferred from 11 interviews in 11 teaching hospitals that there was variation between hospitals in practices regarding infection prevention control practice and guidelines. Most participants mentioned that establishing an infection control committee and infection control guidelines available in the hospitals. Few hospitals had isolation rooms for patients who were suspected due to communicable diseases. Less than half of participants agreed that backup strategies like alternative laboratory services considered. A majority of hospitals had agreed that the incineration of sharps wasn’t available in the hospital. Less than half of study participants showed that there is an availability of computerized resources for the activities developed by the hospital infection control. Nearly more than half of the study participants showed that they had regular reports of the results of the epidemiological surveillance produced. Conclusions: There is a wide difference in teaching hospitals in Erbil city. However, efforts to improve care in this setting should focus on generating new effectiveness research and WHO guideline’s, which is necessary to understand infection prevention and control practices are associated with the lowest infection risk among patients and health staff.