Eye Clinic Züriseh


31.10.2018

The clinic Züriseh AG opened its doors at the new location in Zurich Wollishofen in April 2018. The specialist clinic offers an eye clinic with OP area and an ophthalmology practice – two areas with very different requirements when it comes to hygiene. The cleaning specialists at Wetrok were commissioned to develop a customised cleaning and disinfection concept in order to utilise synergies and still cater for both requirements.

She carefully slips one arm into the left sleeve of the disposable gown and the other into the right sleeve. She reaches back to close the ties at the back of the neck first, then the ones around the waist. The long sleeves are elasticated and sit tight around the wrist. She tightens the synthetic cap around her head, while she puts on the freshly disinfected synthetic slippers. Only then does she touch the door handle of the door leading to the OP area.

Ljubica Krizan is sterilisation assistant at the Züriseh eye clinic. She assists with sterilisation tasks and is responsible for cleaning and disinfection. She moves competently from one group of rooms to the next, always with statutory requirements firmly in mind.

Contact lens fitting and laser surgery in the same building
In April 2018, the clinic moved from Zurich’s city centre to the idyllic location at the edge of Lake Zurich. The clinic couldn’t be named more aptly – as it reflects its area of expertise as well as its location. Patients visit the clinic for glaucoma and cataract surgery, to get drooping eyelids taken care of or have strabotomy surgery there. The eye clinic on Seestrasse offers an ophthalmology practice in addition to the surgery. The clinic covers the entire spectrum of ophthalmology, from orthoptics to contact lens fitting. The two areas are separated only by a narrow hallway. One step across the threshold takes you to an area that requires a much higher level of hygiene for its room groups. Clinic management commissioned Wetrok for the development of a customised cleaning and disinfection concept that would take into account the challenges of both areas in terms of cleaning and disinfection processes.

Around 30% less time and costs for cleaning
A customised concept for cleaning and disinfection includes all aspects of cleaning and disinfection and combines them into a more efficient, synergistic whole. The customer provides the target requirements for the level of hygiene, Wetrok develops a solution as to how the customer can achieve these objectives. Specifically, the solution matches room groups, cleaning methods, cleaning intervals and cleaning products to achieve higher efficiency and lower resource consumption. Wetrok empirical values: The concept saves customers 20-30% time and costs for cleaning long-term, while around 70% less water is used.

Wetrok experience influenced the refurbishment stage
The clinic decided to involve Wetrok cleaning experts in the refurbishment stage for the new location, which precluded traditional planning errors from the onset. Professionals evaluated the best possible location for the installation of disinfectant dispensers – and consequently defined the best possible floor covering underneath these dispensers as well. Decisions like these seem excessive at first glance, but planning errors at that early stage can lead to serious ramifications for cleaning and disinfection processes in the future. During concept creation (see infobox for timeline), Wetrok cleaning expert Walter Utzinger saw the importance of looking at the requirements of the clinic and practice as separate entities: “An ophthalmology practice must primarily convey a subjectively clean impression, while an eye clinic with OP area is all about objectively measurable hygiene. While I was working on the overall concept, I had to put on my “ophthalmology glasses” at some times, while my “hygiene glasses” had to be worn at other times.” As the clinic was legally required to double up on cleaning utensils like mops, cleaning carts and cleaning products for the OP area and the practice, it was essential to neutralise the additional costs with more efficient procedures.

Every room is different
The diversity of the various room groups was a topic not to be underestimated. From the lobby area via the OP area to the sanitary facilities – each individual room type had to be considered in detail. Even the type of flooring and their accessibility for cleaning were diverse – there was chalky natural stone in the lobby area, polyurethane flooring in the operating theatre and tiling in the sanitary areas to consider. The specifics of each area needed to be reflected in the relevantly chosen cleaning methods: A professional vacuum cleaner is used in the lobby area, while dust-binding mopping with disposable cloths is the best choice for hygiene sensitive areas.

Internalisation of the concept implementation via training
Cleaning personnel must be acutely aware of the consequences of insufficient cleaning to do their work thoroughly and with motivation. Detailed user training is therefore essential for a sustainable implementation of any cleaning concept. There was, however, one additional aspect to take into account for the Züriseh eye clinic: Ljubica Krizan may have overall responsibility for cleaning and the supervision of cleaning personnel, but the actual maintenance cleaning is done primarily by an external facility cleaning company. Since their employees were included in the training just like in-house personnel, this particular topic was not a stumbling block for the concept implementation. The technical part of the course included details like the fact that the tank cover of a scrubber-drier should only be closed during active cleaning. When the machine sits idle in the cleaning room, the cover should be left slightly open to allow the tank to dry out fully. Attendees also learned about the new dosing method, which was very well received due to its simplicity: One single pump dispenser covers all dosing variations. Only the number of pumps marks the difference between areas of application. Another training topic was ergonomics: Wetrok experts demonstrated how to minimise or in some cases completely eliminate stresses for the back and shoulders, and how the telescopic handle for mops can be adjusted perfectly to the individual body height of each member of the cleaning crew.

Time-saving cleaning methods for higher efficiency
The many improvements based on the new cleaning concept at the eye clinic are largely due to the time-saving new cleaning methods introduced there. First and foremost: the manual foam cleaning for sanitary facilities and surfaces. Ljubica Krizan is very enthusiastic about the efficient synergy of the foamable maintenance cleaner Alcosal and the advantages of the cleaning method used: “The foam method doesn’t need a subsequent wipe to dry the surface, I can get rid of fingerprints in a single wipe and I don’t have to lug around a heavy water bucket!” She also appreciates the fact that the number of cleaning products is now reduced to a few polyvalent substances: “Three cleaning agents and one basic sanitary cleaner are enough to clean everything. And that includes the windows”, reports the hygiene officer with much satisfaction.

The patients are in good hands
Surgery technician Xenia Pozar is just as enthusiastic about the new cleaning processes: “The improved cleaning and disinfection performance makes us feel much more secure during surgery, because we can be certain that all hygiene requirements are met. Personally, I think it is invaluable to know that my patients are always in good hands.” She also says that she has noticed that patients seem to stay longer for recuperation – simply because they feel comfortable in their rooms.

Once her job is done, it is time for Ljubica Krizan to close the door to the OP area, get out of her disposable gown and back into her street clothes to leave the practice and go home.

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About Züriseh AG Clinic
Züriseh AG Clinic is a private clinic for outpatient eye surgery. The clinic specialises in glaucoma and cataract surgery, eyelid and retina surgery, as well as intravitreal injections (surgical introduction of medication into the eye). The medical services are supplemented with an attached ophthalmology practice, covering the entire eye care spectrum.