“Buddy the Saviour”: Selected Managerial Strategies Deployed to Facilitate Infection Control in a Hospital During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Experience from the National Referral Centre of Sri Lanka

Introduction: National Institute of Infectious Diseases (NIID) is the apex referral centre for clinical management of COVID-19 in Sri Lanka. It has remained resilient through twelve months from the onset of the pandemic. Infection Control was one of the prime concerns of its management.

 

Objective: The objective was to describe managerial strategies adopted by NIID to facilitate infection control during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

Methods: This was a descriptive case study. Data was gathered through Key Informant Interviews and by examining hospital records.

 

Results: Training and improving awareness on infection control, ensuring good hand hygiene practices, management of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), developing institutional capacities to ensure good infection control, effective cleaning and disinfection and prompt and proper management of staff outbreaks were the managerial strategies deployed by NIID to facilitate infection control.

 

Conclusions: Training and improving awareness on infection control, ensuring good hand hygiene practices, management of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), developing institutional capacities to ensure good infection control, effective cleaning and disinfection and prompt and proper management of staff outbreaks are effective managerial strategies in facilitating infection control in a hospital setting.