How clean are your doctor's hands? You might be surprised

Winnipeg hospital staff are falling down when it comes to keeping clean.

The Winnipeg Regional Health Authority (WRHA) has, for the past two years,been urging hospital staff to properly wash their hands before and after dealing with patients.

• Winnipeg hospital staff not washing their hands enough
• Winnipeg hospital staff reminded to wash their hands

The goal is to have 80 per cent of doctors, nurses and other staff doing so.

But a recent survey found as few as58 per cent of doctors at Health Sciences Centre wash their hands before and after interacting with patients.

The worst number was at Concordia Hospital, where only 38 per cent of doctors practice proper hand washing.

The highest number of doctors who wash their hands are at Victoria General Hospital at 84 per cent.

Arlene Wilgosh, president and CEO of the WRHA, said they're trying to get those numbers up.

"I'm confident that we're going to get there it is a work in progress. We are talking to physicians if we notice that there is someone that is consistently not washing," she said, adding it is particularly important during theflu season.

On mobile? See the handwashing compliance report here.