Global Handwashing Day observations at JNMC
Aligarh : Team healthy hangouts of MBBS 2021 Batch were declared the winner in the contest of putting up stalls to show how handwashing with soap is critical for achieving good nutrition. They were adjudged the best from among teams of different MBBS batches and groups participating in the competition in ‘Hygienesia Fair’ held to observe the ‘Global Handwashing Day’ observations of the HISI Aligarh Chapter, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College (JNMC), Aligarh Muslim University (AMU).
Inaugurating the programme on October 15, the Chief Guest, Dr Hamida Tariq (well-known pediatrician) said, “Like every year, the HISI Aligarh Chapter is spreading the message of hand hygiene to spread awareness on disease prevention practices.
“There is an immense need to increase awareness and understanding about the importance of handwashing with soap as an effective and affordable way to keep diseases at bay and save lives”, she added.
“The world has leveraged lessons from the last two years of Covid pandemic and as we move beyond to a new normal, it is time we accelerate hand hygiene progress to prevent any kind of infection”, said the Guest of Honour, Prof Naima Khatoon (Principal, Women’s College).
Prof Rakesh Bhargava (Dean, Faculty of Medicine and Principal, JNMC) pressed for a collective effort to enact change and called for working together to scale up hand hygiene.
“Handwashing with soap significantly reduces risks of diarrhoeal diseases and transmission of outbreak related pathogens such as cholera, Ebola, shigellosis, SARS, hepatitis E, and Covid”, said Prof Haris M Khan (President, HISI Aligarh Chapter and Chairman, Department of Microbiology).
Dr Fatima Khan (Secretary, HISI Aligarh Chapter) stressed on using the platform of ‘Global Handwashing Day’ to design, test and replicate creative ways for encouraging people to sanitise hands.
Medical students also performed an awareness skit on the occasion.
Prof Farah Ghaus (Department of Anatomy), Prof Shaista Afroz (Department of Prosthodontics), Dr Anwar (Department of Physiology) and Dr Syed Mohd Danish Qasim (Department of Radiodiagnosis) were the judges of the stalls contest.