Nadda launches Clean and Green campaign at AIIMS

Union Health Minister J.P. Nadda on Wednesday launched the Clean and Green campaign at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) to promote cleanliness and hygienic practices in tertiary care hospitals in the country.

The campaign, also known as "Kaya Kalp" campaign, is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's pet initiative "Swachh Bharat Abhiyan", and will cover the 12 major tertiary care hospitals in India to instil a sense of urgency and seriousness of purpose while dealing with cleanliness issues within the hospital.

As part of the campaign, the health ministry has put up a cash award of Rs.5 crore for the best hospital and Rs.3 crore for the second best hospital in the country.

The examining committee set up by the health ministry will observe the cleanliness work being carried on at the hospitals after a period of one year.

"The time has come for paying heed to sanitation and cleanliness in hospitals. Hospitals do not need to worry as the government will financially support the hospitals for the implementation of the campaign," Nadda said on the occasion.

He said one of the reasons why sanitation and cleanliness were being ignored at major hospitals was the patient load.

"I am sure that the Clean and Green campaign will provide the enabling framework wherein both the patients and faculty can respond to and work in a congenial working environment," the minister added, as he also unveiled the logo of the Clean and Green campaign.

Under the campaign, AIIMS would form several new committees on issues like sanitation and staff management.

A decision has also been taken to train the sanitation staff in the latest technology used for cleanliness maintenance.

A sum of Rs.1 crore has already been released by the government in the form of aid for the implementation of the campaign.

Health secretary B.P. Sharma said: "The need for such a dedicated campaign was very necessary. The challenges in creating patient-friendly hospitals have been quite formidable."

"The rise in patient load, increased workload on doctors and nursing cadres, timely modernisation of machinery and equipment have necessitated significant policy responses," he said.

AIIMS, a 2,345-bed hospital, takes in three million patients every year (8,000-10,000 a day), posing an enormous challenge to housekeeping.