The movie short, produced by the TBRHSC Department of Communications and Engagement, features the S.I.C.K. Team (Special Infection Control Kids Team), a group of children who promote better hand hygiene at the Health Sciences Centre. The movie is meant to be a fun reminder for staff and visitors alike that good hand hygiene is crucial to reducing the spread of infection.

Infection control is fundamental to providing the best healthcare in the world and we all have a part in making that happen. All healthcare facilities run the risk of spreading infection. But, we can cut our risk in half simply by washing our hands and using hand sanitizer.

Hand sanitizers are now everywhere throughout the Health Sciences Centre. In order to reduce infections, everyone – staff and visitors alike – need to clean their hands before entering and after leaving a patient room. It is for their own safety as much as the patient’s, though for obvious reasons the patient is most vulnerable to viral and bacterial infections. The last thing anyone wants to do is pass along germs to patients that may contribute to their illness, especially if it could have been prevented by simply cleaning our hands.

Sometimes patients are afraid to ask their caregivers (doctors, nurses, etc.) if they’ve cleaned their hands. Every patient has the right to ask all people entering their room if they’ve cleaned their hands. There’s nothing impolite about wanting to stop the spread of infection – especially if it’s your own body at risk.

Overall, the video reinforces the fact that proper hand hygiene is the best defence in the spread of infection.