Guidelines to control the spread of the antibiotic-resistant hospital superbug MRSA have been launched by the Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney.
The guidelines have been published by the Health Service Executive.
They emphasise the importance of hand hygiene, minimising overcrowding, ensuring adequate space between beds, the provision of more isolation rooms and maintaining a clean hospital environment.
The minister said that a failure on the part of doctors and nurses to wash their hands between patients could not be blamed on a lack of funding.
Ms Harney also said visitors to hospital had a responsibility not to contribute to the spread of the bacteria.
The guidelines say MRSA is widespread in many hospitals and last year 550 bloodstream infections were detected.
The guidelines advise that in critical areas such as intensive care units, an alcohol hand rub should be available at the bedside of each patient.
Dr Mary Hynes, acting director of the HSE national hospitals office, said that maintaining good hand hygiene was one of the simplest and most effective measures to halt the spread the bacteria.
The results of a national hygiene audit, which involved unannounced visits to 54 acute hospitals, are due to be published shortly.
