Guwahati, June 8: A city-based pharmaceutical company has launched a hand rub for hospitals in the Northeast.

“We started manufacturing the product, Handuser Handrub, in accordance with World Health Organisation’s guidelines from January this year. We plan to cover over 20 hospitals across the Northeast,” Ghanshyam Dhanuka, managing director of GRD Pharmaceuticals, told this correspondent today.

A hand rub is a waterless alcohol-based compound (such as ethanol, isopropanol) that is used as a rub or rinse hands. Research says hand rubs are more effective against micro-organisms than soaps and therefore preferred by hospitals. The company has also launched an awareness campaign on hand hygiene in hospitals.

“The purpose of coming up with the initiative is to educate people about proper hand hygiene and how it can reduce healthcare associated/hospital acquired infections. It is a part of our social responsibility. The price of the hand rub has been kept low so as to make the product affordable to patients,” Dhanuka said.

Doctors say improper hand-hygiene and non-availability of hand rubs in a majority of the healthcare institutions leads toinfections.

“Proper and timely use of a hand rub is the most effective method to reduce healthcare-associated infections,” said Rajib Bhattacharya, head of the department, anaesthesia, Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital, Barpeta.

GRD Pharmaceuticals, a part of the Dhanuka Group, started operations from its plant at Rani, about 18km from here, in 2008. The company posted an annual turnover of Rs 15 crore last year.

“The new product will contribute between Rs 1.5 crore and Rs 2 crore to the company’s annual turnover,” Dhanuka said.