Hand sanitisers gain in popularity
The introduction of yet another ‘day’ — Hand-washing Day, celebrated on May 3, at the end of Global Infection Week (April 28May 3) — will doubtlessly give a boost to sales of hand sanitisers, but it is expected it will also increase awareness of hygienic practices.
Sanitisers are apparently becoming quite a fad and their sales have increased. The Indian market is expected to be worth `25 crore.
Private hospitals have taken to attaching a sanitiser bottle to every bed, and insist that doctors, nurses, ward boys and also visitors use it before they touch the patient. Hospital-acquired infection is a serious problem and hospitals are hoping to contain it with measures like this, though much more rigorous measures have to be taken by them.
Infections such as pneumonia, blood infections, wound or surgical site infections and meningitis can be acquired in healthcare settings. Surgical infections due to insertion of catheters and other tubes can be passed on by relatives touching the patient. Hospitalised patients, who have low immunity because of their ailment, are particularly vulnerable to infection.
“We can’t carry water, soap and tub everywhere. These sanitisers have proved very handy,” explained general physician Dr Dilip Nandamuri of Star Hospitals.
Doctors are critical of the number of visitors that flock to hospitals as they can be prime carriers of infection.
However, it is not advisable for school children to carry sanitisers since they contain a small amount of alcohol. In fact, some city schools have asked children not to carry sanitisers as there is a fear they may swallow the liquid.
A 200 ml hand sanitiser costs `185, and 500 ml herbal hand sanitiser costs `250. Though they have been around since 2002, sales picked up in 2009 when the avian flu virus became a major cause of concern. Arup Kavan, said, “The gap in the Indian market was well-exploited, its rising sales shows that the marketing has worked well. It does have its benefits, but also raises the question: Are we overusing it?”