Hospital hygiene activities were introduced at the University of Debrecen in 1967. Until 1999, they operated within the Institute of Public Health and Epidemiology as the Hospital Hygiene Group, and thereafter as the Hospital Hygiene Department.
In 1999, a postgraduate programme in healthcare quality assurance and quality improvement was launched at the former School of Public Health, where infection control—and later infection control and patient safety—became independent subjects.
In 2008, Hungary’s first Department of Hospital Hygiene and Infection Control was established at the Faculty of Public Health. Its role was to ensure hygienic operational standards and prevent hospital-acquired infections. It functioned in this form until 2018.
In 2021, following the integration of Kenézy Gyula Hospital and the University of Debrecen, hygiene activities were unified. The Hospital Hygiene Departments of the Nagyerdei and Kenézy Gyula Campuses were created under joint management. With further integration, the Gróf Tisza István Campus Hospital Hygiene Department was established on 1 June 2023.
Responsibilities
- Ensures hygienic operational standards within the Clinical Centre. Conducts scheduled hygiene inspections in organisational units. Issues and maintains the Disinfection Guidelines. Supervises disinfectant cleaning, disinfectant laundering, patient and staff catering, and pest and rodent control.
- Performs nosocomial surveillance in the intensive care units of the Clinical Centre. Continuously monitors multidrug-resistant pathogens and antibiotic-associated Clostridioides difficile infections. Provides on-site consultation and supervision on patient isolation. Conducts epidemiological investigations in cases of clustered infections.
- Places special emphasis on hand hygiene as a key measure in preventing nosocomial transmission. Monitors hand disinfectant consumption continuously. Promotes compliance through posters. Measures hand hygiene compliance annually by direct observation.
- Since 2008, infection control training has been mandatory for new employees, including training and assessment of hand disinfection using the fluorescein test. An e-learning module has been developed to improve hand hygiene knowledge among staff and students.
- Provides professional hygiene opinions regarding the procurement and operation of new devices and the introduction of new procedures.
Units
Nagyerdei Campus Hospital Hygiene Department
Kenézy Gyula Campus Hospital Hygiene Department
Gróf Tisza István Campus Hospital Hygiene Department
Contact
Nagyerdei Campus – 4032 Debrecen, Nagyerdei körút 98.
Tel: +36 52 255 795; +36 52 255 000 ext. 54795
Kenézy Gyula Campus – 4031 Debrecen, Bartók Béla út 2–26.
Tel: +36 52 511 777 ext. 41661, 42040
Gróf Tisza István Campus – 4100 Berettyóújfalu, Orbán Balázs tér 1.
Tel: +36 54 507 555 ext. 653, 639
.