Cleanliness pledge was administered to the staff of Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital here today by Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Anupriya Patel on the occasion of 'Swachhta Pakhwada'.
The 'Swachhta Pakhwara' drive aims to encourage and sensitise hospital staff, patients, their attendants and caregivers in maintaining proper hygiene, sanitation.
Poor sanitation leads to a number of diseases like diarrhoea, worm infestation, hepatitis A and E, typhoid, cholera, Patel said at the event.
"Every hour, 13 patients die due to diarrhoea. It is estimated that inadequate sanitation is responsible for about 4 per cent deaths and 5.7 per cent diseases worldwide. All these can be prevented provided we observe proper sanitation practices," she said.
This drive is a step forward from the Special Swachhta Fortnight drive which was undertaken from May 20 to June 3, last year in tertiary care hospitals such as AIIMS New Delhi and Central government hospitals all over the country as part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan.
The Union Minister said poor sanitation is a huge economic burden on the government which spends more than Rs 12 billion to combat it and the illness caused by it.
According to a recent WHO study, lack of cleanliness and hygiene costs every Indian around Rs 6,500 each year.
"It is my belief that hospitals, healthcare centres and schools can be role models to the whole nation in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan," she said.
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