According to a new report by WHO, it is revealed that half of the healthcare facilities in the world lack basic hygiene. There are already too many reports on how there is a serious lack of basic health facilities in the world, especially in third-world countries. Many people are living without the necessary medical resources and services. Even most of the government hospitals in Pakistan do not cater to the basic medical needs of the people.
Lack of medical services has always been in discussion, but there is a new issue arising from some time that has been raised by the World Health Organization in a report. Half of the healthcare facilities which are being provided in the world lack basic hygiene. The world has seen major infections and virus outbreaks. And after that, we cannot afford more infections due to poor hygiene.
These are some factors that poor hygiene can cause:
Infections and viruses
Contaminated syringes and other medical equipment can cause serious infections in a patient’s body. We often see in news and reports that many people die in our country due to poor medical hygiene and contaminated surgical instruments. Many instruments are thrown out without proper disposal and these instruments are reused in small clinics without proper sterilization.
It can cause infections and even death. Viruses and syndromes like HIV and Aids also spread from a lack of basic hygiene in medical services. Many people suffer from these severe and untreatable conditions due to the negligence of health workers.
It causes stillbirths
The lack of basic sanitation facilities is causing problems during pregnancies. Women carrying babies are among the most vulnerable population who are getting affected by poor hygiene. They are at most risk of getting sick and contracting infections during pregnancy, eventually causing stillbirths. Pakistan is among the countries with the highest maternal mortality rate.
Stillbirths and the deaths of women during delivery is the major issue in unprivileged areas. All around the world, many women lose their lives or their children due to poor sanitation and lack of hygienic medical facilities. If the mother contracts an infection or virus or gets sick, the child in her womb also gets affected. All because of contaminated medical instruments and lack of basic hygiene.
Put healthcare workers at risk
The first people to be in contact with poor hygiene services and management are the healthcare workers. Who works for others and try their best to provide healthcare services to others. But these people are at risk all the time as they are in constant contact with unhygienic and contaminated medical instruments.
If the people who are providing the services get sick and contract infections, it will disrupt the whole system. That is how outbreaks happen and this is the major medical problem the world is dealing with right now. Half of the problems can be solved if there is good hygiene in medical facilities.
It affects the menstrual hygiene of young girls
Menstrual hygiene is the most important thing for young girls. First, we deal with the issue of basic awareness and information about the menstruation cycle. Most young girls don’t even have the basic knowledge of their own bodies and the processes they go through.
Young girls in third-world countries do not have proper sanitation facilities. And poor menstrual hygiene management can cause many infections and diseases including cancer. The medical facilities do not provide the proper sanitation as well. There is already a stigma attached to this issue and it makes the situation even worse.
Affects children with low immunity
Many children in less privileged areas have low immunity due to a lack of basic healthy nutrients. These children are always under attack from serious germs and bacteria around them. The infections and viruses attack these children badly. It can affect their growth and development in their growing years.
Not having proper hygiene in hospitals and medical facilities can put these children at risk of serious illness and diseases. Children play in the open fields and sometimes they contract dangerous viruses like gangrene which spreads in the body. But very few hospitals are capable of providing proper treatment for this.
