Ignaz Philip Semmelweis (1818-1867) championed the importance of hand washing among the medical professionals. Giving birth was a dangerous endeavor in the 1800s; many women died soon after doing so. Ignaz Semmelweis, an obstetrician working at the time at Vienna General Hospital observed that by washing his hands with bleach before he touched his patients he could reduce their mortality rate by 90%. Washing for hand hygiene is the act of cleaning one's hands with or without the use of water or another liquid, or with the use of soap, for the purpose of removing soil, dirt, and/or microorganisms.
Yet there is no other procedure which is simple and cost effective in preventing the spread of infections in hospital environment. It is utmost important duty of every medical, paramedical and nursing staff to educate, promote and monitor hand washing. In spite of more than a century of…
