Assessment of Level of Implementation of Infection Control Guidelines in Sub District Hospitals in Gadag District by using Kayakalp Assessment Tool

Infection control is one of the main tenets of the "Kayakalp" movement. Well-kept and sanitary surroundings improve the hospital's image in the eyes of both patients and visitors. They also help the healthcare facility (HCF) create an atmosphere that reduces the number of hospital-acquired infections (HAI). Patients within hospitals and other healthcare establishments are vulnerable to healthcare-associated infections, commonly referred to as "nosocomial" or "hospital" infections, which are neither present nor in an incubating stage at the moment of admission. This category also encompasses occupational ailments among healthcare personnel and diseases contracted by patients during their hospitalization, which manifest after their discharge. Globally, nosocomial (hospital-acquired) infections constitute a significant and escalating concern. In the absence of adequate preventive strategies, individuals receiving medical treatment in any healthcare establishment face the risk of acquiring an infection. Healthcare-associated infections not only result in additional suffering but also impose substantial financial burdens on patients and their families, akin to numerous other issues related to patient safety. Antibiotic resistance is a result of infections, which also lengthen hospital stays, cause chronic disability, greatly increase the financial burden on healthcare systems, raise costs for patients and their families, and result in avoidable deaths. The present study results are intended to clarify the current state of infection control practices in the Gadag district's sub-district hospitals and identify possible areas for improvement.