The importance of WASH in health centres in India: a study of WASH facilities in five states

It has been assumed health centres in India ensure certain levels of the availability of water, sanitation and hygiene. However, recent studies in eight districts of five states show 20 per cent have insufficient water, toilets are unusable in 66 per cent facilities and 50 per cent have abysmal standards of hygiene. Staff at all levels from the doctor to the cleaners claim to know of key hygiene practices but facilities are dirty. These includes sub-centres, primary health centres, community health centres and district hospitals. In May 2015 the Government of India released guidelines for cleanliness in health centres but these are applicable only to district hospitals and not to sub-centres, primary and community health centres that are the first point of contact for most of India’s population. The studies point to the need for training conservancy staff, doctors, nurses and the attendants of patients in addition to adequate hardware.