The team is responsible for day to day decisions on infection control as well as long term infection control policy.  It should meet several times a week or preferably daily.  The team adequately funded to provide secretarial assistance, and information technology capabilities.  The team is responsible for:

 

1.         Advising staff on all aspects of infection control and maintain a safe environment for patient.

2.         Providing educational programmes on the prevention of hospital infection for all hospital personnel.

3.         Providing a basic manual of policies and procedures and ensure that written guidelines are implemented. 

4.         Establishing a system of surveillance of hospital infection in order to identify patients at-risk and problem areas that need intervention.  Methods for surveillance may include case findings by ward rounds and chart reviews, reviews of laboratory reports, and targeted prevalence or incidence surveys. 

5.         Advising management of patients requiring special isolation and control measures.

6.         Investigating and controlling outbreaks of infection in collaboration with medical and nursing staff.

7.         Ensuring efficient methods for sterilization and disinfection.

 8.        Ensuring staff health by immunization and post- exposure management.

9.         Investigating and reporting of specific infections.  (e.g., MRSA, MRO, HIV, TB.)

10.       Ensuring that an antibiotic policy is in existence.

11.       Liaising with the hospital doctors and administration (managerial and nursing), community health doctors and nurses, and infection control staff in adjacent hospitals.

12.       Providing relevant information on infection problems to management and the ICC.

13.       Performing other duties as required, e.g., kitchen inspections, pest control, waste disposal.