Slovak Epidemiological Association

Slovakia

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Information about Slovakia

Slovakia is located in Central Europe, south of Poland. Slovakia has rugged mountains in the central and northern part and lowlands in the south. The Tatra Mountains in the north are interspersed with many scenic lakes and valleys. With a total of 1,524 km land boundaries, Slovakia shares borders with Austria (91 km), the Czech Republic (215 km), Hungary (677 km), Poland (444 km), and the Ukraine (97 km).

History

In 1918 the Slovaks joined the closely related Czechs to form Czechoslovakia. Following the chaos of World War II, Czechoslovakia became a Communist nation within Soviet-ruled Eastern Europe. Soviet influence collapsed in 1989 and Czechoslovakia once more became free. The Slovaks and the Czechs agreed to separate peacefully on 1 January 1993. Slovakia was invited to join NATO and the EU in 2004.

Statistics

• Area: 48,845 km² (land 48,800 km², water 45 km²)
• Population: 5,430,033 (July 2003 est.)
• Population Density: 111 per km²
• Capital: Bratislava
• Government type: parliamentary democracy
• Independence: January 1, 1993 (from The Czecho-Slovak Federation, previously Czechoslovakia)
• Constitution: January 1, 1993
• Language: Slovak (official), Hungarian
• Nationalities: Slovak 85.6%, Hungarian 10.8%, Romanian 1.8%, Czech 1.2%, Ruthenian 0.3%, Ukrainian 0.3%, German 0.1%, Polish 0.1%, other 0.2%
• Religion: Roman-Catholic 60.3%, Greek-Catholic 3.4%, Protestant 6.2%, Reformist 1.6%, Orthodox 0.6%, atheist 9.7%, no data 18.2%
• Life expectancy at birth: 74.43 years; male 70.44 years; female 78.64 years (2003 est.)
• Climate: temperate; cool summers; cold, cloudy, humid winters
• Time Zone: GMT +1hr
• Currency: Slovak Koruna [SKK]

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SEA - Slovak Epidemiological Association

The Slovak Epidemiological Association (SEA) was established on June 3rd, 1999. The most important annual event of the SEA - Days of Preventive Medicine - was first organised for the September 7th and 8th, 2000. The Section of Hospital Hygiene within the Slovak Epidemiological Association was established on November 26th, 2001.

Activities

Activities Undertaken in the Field of Central Sterilisation in Recent Years:

• More than 10 seminars have been held with experts in the field of Central Sterilisation (CS) in Slovakia - including international participation.
• Participation in formulation of the Act No. 98/1995 of the National Council of the Slovak Republic regarding Therapeutic Rules and its ammendments.
• Comments on the translation of the relevant standard technical norms (STN EN ISO)
• Formulation of the concept of sterilisation for items used in health care.
• Creation of curricula for this specialisation leading to certificated courses for health workers and for those in medical schools in this field of disinfection and sterilisation.
• The organisation of thematic and innovative courses by the State Health Institutes since December 1993.
• The constitution of the educational platform of the State Health Institute through a body entitled The Cabinet of Disinfection and Sterilisation.
• The introduction of a system of management to monitor the quality of the preparation of sterile items used in health care (quality control)
• The formulation and implementation of standards on how to prepare sterile health care items according to the various methods of sterilisation employed.
• The establishment of co-operation with both the School of Medicine and the Faculty of Philosophy of the Comenius University and also with the Nursing Branch of the Technical University.
• The enhancement of the education and training of students of the nursing and health schools in the field of CS following new curricular additions and with practical experience being gained from on site visits to CS facilities.
• Active and passive participation in conferences in the field of National Health abroad

Central Sterilisation

The Development of Central Sterilisation in Slovakia

The first CS unit in Slovakia was founded in the F. D. Roosevelt Hospital in Banská Bystrica - this large hospital takes inpatients and has multi-disciplinary outpatient clinics. Before that, the sterilisation of items used in health care was a part of each different surgical discipline. In a short time some other CS units were constituted: in 1980 in the State Sanatorium in Bratislava, in 1981 in the hospitals in Galanta and Nové Zámky, in the Faculty Hospital in Košice, in hospitals with outpatient clinics in Prešov, Rimavská Sobota, Hnúšta etc. By 1990, there were already 19 departments of CS in existence that were fully functional. However, each had a different job description and consequently differing relations towards other hospital wards and departments. In the autumn of 1990, there was a Czechoslovak seminar for all CS workers and proposals were adopted with the main objectives of elaborating on the new concept of CS. This involved the creation of a database for all health facilities in Slovakia thus enabling the working out of the review to be enacted with regards to spacial requirements, materials, personnel and equipment from the existing CS departments. This included carrying out a survey of the level of sterilisation and disinfection provided in particular hospital wards, and comparing it to the level required according to international standards. It has been approved that the education and training should be continued in the form of seminars called "The Days of Central Sterilisation".

Since then, more than 10 technical seminars have been organised, in which important problems were discussed, e.g. the concept of CS, which was later published in the Bulletin of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic, new Decree No. 109/1995 of the same ministry, on the requirements of the work of health facilities from the aspect of health protection, new norms for the preparation of sterile items used in health care (STN EN) and accreditation within this field. In the VI th of the series of "Days of Central Sterilisation" held in 1999, the first lecture on plasma sterilisation "Sterad" as used in practice was presented by the experts of the Trencín Hospital. During this seminar, co-operation with the central operating/surgical theatres was also initiated.

The realisation of this important milestone in the field of CS is evidenced by

1. the fact that the new concept has been implemented,
2. the CS procedures have been clearly defined with codes allotted to them in the therapeutic regulations,
3. that the field has methodological management by the main expert of the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic,
4. that the education is carried on by the Slovak Health University through its Cabinet for Sterilisation and Disinfection,
5. that the information of the workers and co-ordination of the work of CS is maintained through the regional experts and the Advisory Committee of the main expert. At present, the CS procedures in Slovakia are provided by 41 departments of CS according to the standard nursing procedures. The problems related to this field have already become an integral part of educational curricula of the secondary schools of health/ Nursing Schools, for pharmaceutical laboratory assistants , and the Faculty of Philosophy of the Comenius University has inaugurated studies at Bachelor level concering the sterilisation of items used in health care.

Events

Upcoming Events

to be announced...

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Past Events

The 12th Days of Central Sterilization and The 6th Days of Central Operating Theatres
Date: 24 to 26 November 2004
Location: Hotel Sachticka, Banska Bystrica, Slovakia
Contact: K. Urbanova, Votrubova 11, 821 09 Bratislava, Slovakia

3rd Cerveka's Days of Preventive Medicine
Date: 2 to 4 June 2004
Location: Hotel Biela Medvedica, Bystrá, Slovakia
Contact: ŠZÚ Banská Bystrica, Hviezdoslavova 19

Nosocomial Infections in Slovak Health-care Institutions
Date: 16 to 18 March 2004
Location: Hotel Dixon, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
Contact: State Institute of Public Health (ŠZÚ) Banská Bystrica, Hviezdoslavova 19
Email:

National Reference Centre Consultation Day
Date: 22 October 2003
Location: Bratislava, Slovakia
Contact: State Faculty Institute of Public Health (ŠFZÚ), Trnavská 52, 826 45 Bratislava, Slovakia

All-country Vaccination Day
Date: September 2003
Location: Žilina, Slovakia
Contact: ŠZÚ Banská Bystrica, Hviezdoslavova 19

2nd Cerveka's Days of Preventive Medicine
Date: 18 to 20 June 2003
Location: Hotel Biela Medvedica, Bystrá, Slovakia
Contact: ŠZÚ Banská Bystrica, Hviezdoslavova 19

Nosocomial Infections in Slovak Health-care Institutions
Date: 11 to 13 March 2003
Location: Hotel Dixon, Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
Contact: ŠZÚ Banská Bystrica, Hviezdoslavova 19
Email:

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Co-organisation of the following events:

Congress of the Slovak Paediatric Association
Date: 24 to 27 September 2003
Location: Banská Bystrica, Slovakia
Contact: ŠFZÚ SR, Trnavská 52, 826 45 Bratislava, Slovakia

Congress of the Slovak Medical Association
Date: 3 to 5 April 2003
Location: PKO, nábr. L. Svobodu, Bratislava, Slovakia
Contact: ŠFZÚ SR, Trnavská 52, 826 45 Bratislava, Slovakia

Contact

Dr Rastislav Madar, MD, PhD
Email: