S6 · Infection Prevention and Control

Safely putting on and taking off personal protective equipment

In crisis and conflict zones, the risk of infectious diseases is particularly high. Before medical staff can enter or leave certain areas of a Red Cross Emergency Hospital, protective clothing must be put on and taken off according to a fixed protocol.

This procedure — known as donning and doffing — protects both staff and patients from the transmission of pathogens. The correct sequence is practised regularly, since errors during doffing can lead to contamination.

At the Red Cross Emergency Hospital in Rafah, scabies and mosquito-borne diseases pose additional challenges for the team in infection control.