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Could cow urine replace phenyl as a hospital disinfectant?
2nd of December 2015
Moves are being made in India to replace traditional hospital disinfectants with cows' urine.
New Delhi congress official Parminder Bhamra claims to use the substance in his home every day. He says it kills germs and is easily available.
"I get it from the nearby cattle shed," he said. "I'm sure even hospitals can be cleaned properly using it."
His words come as a pilot scheme is set up at a Jaipur hospital where cows' urine is to replace phenyl as a disinfectant over a 15-day period. The Rajasthan government has tasked a committee of doctors with analysing the use of Gau Clean - a product based on refined cows' urine - in various medical settings to assess its disinfectant properties.
The product will be tested in intensive care wards, on items of medical equipment and on hospital floors. If proved effective it is thought that cows' urine could become a new source of income for cow-keepers.
"Once 'Gau Clean' gets its licence it can be used in other government offices and buildings - and people will even buy it from the market," said Otaram Dewasi who heads up Rajasthan's cow-rearing ministry.
Cow urine is already the base ingredient for a number of products in India including shampoos, soap - and even a health drink. A floor cleaning agent is produced at a cow urine refinery that opened in Jalore earlier this year. And the substance is also used as a folk medicine in Myanmar and Nigeria.
RSS