Personal Health Kit Promises to Slow the Spread of Superbugs
Courtesy of Denis Cummings. The PatientPak was made available to the British public last week for £15.99 (about $30) per kit. It features “antimicrobial products (wipes, hand sanitiser, fabric spray and hair and body wash), proven to kill 99.99% of all germs, with a carefully considered range of disposable products (cleansing wipes, soap, nail brush, lip balm and pen),” according to the PatientPak Web site.
The antimicrobial products contain Clinell, a chemical formula previously found only in hospitals that is “hailed as the most universal formula for killing infections.” PatientPak claims that the products can kill MRSA, e-coli, norovirus and salmonella within 10 seconds of application.
The kit will allow hospital patients, staff and visitors to protect themselves from infection, which can spread if hospitals are not as sanitary as they should be. “Although it is impossible to completely eliminate harmful germs, the new pack is designed to help patients and visitors exert control over their own safety,” said PatientPak medical adviser Dr. Guy Braverman. “Crucially, when people protect themselves, they are protecting others too.”
But Graham Tanner, chairman of the National Concern for Healthcare Infections, said to U.K. paper Daily Mail that the kit undermines the credibility of Britain’s hospital system. Hospitals already have many cleaning stations set up and they encourage staff and civilians to use them frequently throughout the day.
“Ill patients should not be forced to pay for a service that hospitals should provide as a basic principle of the NHS,” said Tanner. “This is a very cynical move by a company that is making these products to exploit fears and anxieties.”
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