In a remarkable achievement, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital at Kengeri Campus has surpassed its initial goals for the "Clean Hands. Save Lives" campaign, which aims to empower children with the importance of hand hygiene. Since its launch on June 21, 2023, the campaign has seen overwhelming participation from schools and students, resulting in the enrollment of 54 schools and the training of an impressive 80,000 students and counting. This exceeds the original target of enrolling around 50 schools and 50,000 students, reflecting the strong resonance of the campaign's message.

The "Clean Hands. Save Lives" campaign, a community-wide initiative in collaboration with Rotary Bengaluru Gnanakshi Club and Rotary District 3191, aims to foster a culture of hand hygiene among children in Bengaluru schools. Recognizing the need to address the decline in hand hygiene practices, the campaign aims to instill the habit of regular hand cleaning and sanitization among children, transcending beyond pandemic situations.

"As the ongoing monsoon season continues to present its own set of health challenges, the 'Clean Hands. Save Lives' campaign gains even greater significance. Many illnesses, including respiratory infections such as flu, dengue, malaria, and waterborne infections such as gastroenteritis and typhoid, become more prevalent among children during this time. This is likely due to their lower immunity and increased exposure to atmospheric fluctuations, contaminated food/water, and the breeding season for mosquitoes. We are observing around 6-8 cases of respiratory illness and 2-3 cases of dengue daily, along with 3-4 cases of gastroenteritis-like illnesses per week. The campaign's emphasis on promoting proper hand hygiene is a timely and essential step in addressing these infections. By encouraging regular handwashing, especially during the heightened infection risk of the monsoon season, we are taking a proactive approach to safeguarding our children's health. Clean hands serve as a primary defense against a range of illnesses, and this initiative can have a lasting impact on reducing infections and maintaining our children's well-being during this challenging period," Dr. Rashmi M, Consultant Microbiologist, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital.

With the campaign gaining tremendous momentum, BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital is now gearing up for the grand finale - an Official Guinness World Record Attempt scheduled for November 2023. This milestone event is set to take place at Forum Mall, Kanakpura Road, and aims to bring together la diverse and enthusiastic group of participants, including:

~50 schools

~10,000 student representatives

The Guinness World Records official attempt will involve over 10,000 students assembling at the Forum Mall Kanakpura in November and performing the six steps of handwash using hand sanitizer.

BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital remains steadfast in its commitment to empowering the children of Bengaluru and instilling the habit of hand hygiene in the younger generation. "We are immensely proud of the response the 'Clean Hands. Save Lives' campaign has received thus far," said Biju Nair, Cluster COO of Gleneagles Global Hospitals, Bengaluru. "Exceeding our initial targets is a testament to the collective dedication towards creating a positive impact on public health through education and awareness."

The hospital extends its gratitude to the participating schools, students, teachers, parents, and volunteers for their enthusiastic support and contribution towards making this campaign a resounding success.

“We are happy with the responses received from schools. We now have 50+ schools joining hands for this initiative. I thank each and every school management, principals, and coordinators who helped us surpass our target. We will continue to train students and look forward to seeing them all on the final day in November,” Rotarian Ashwin Kumar SG, Past President of Rotary Bengaluru Gnanakshi Club and District 3191 Member for Basic Education and Literacy Committee.

BGS Gleneagles Global Hospital welcomes contributions from Corporates to come and sponsor sanitizers, refreshments etc. to support this campaign that will help deepen the impact of the initiative and ensure a higher groundswell is built in favour of the ‘Clean Hands. Save Lives’ campaign.