Raiganj: North Dinajpur district health officials said on Sunday that bed sheets of varying colours would be used in Raiganj district hospital on different days a week to check cross infection and ensure that the beds and the wards were cleaned every day.

Prakash Mridha, the chief medical officer of health of the district, said: "We have already issued a directive to the authorities of Raiganj district hospital and the subdivisional hospital in Islampur to use bed sheets of different colours. A colour has been stipulated for each day of the week."

Sources at the health department said they had reports that a section of the staff, who were assigned with cleaning the wards and also changing the bed sheets every day, were irregular in their duties.

"There are reports that bed sheets are not changed every day and in some cases, those are not changed even after a patient is discharged. This is why it has been decided to use bed sheets of different colours so that any official can have a clear idea as to whether those have been changed, by only looking at the beds in any ward," said the source.

At the hospital, a chart would be put on display, mentioning the days of the week and the corresponding colour of the bedsheets, the source said, adding that it would also help family members and relatives of patients confirm that the beds of their patients had been cleaned.

Based on the decision, the district health department has also started sending bed sheets to the hospitals.

"If things go right, the new system will start at the Raiganj district hospital by next week. Gradually, we will start the same system in the block hospitals," said Mridha.

Both in Raiganj and Islampur, there are 300 beds at the hospitals.