Hand washing remains one of the most effective infection control methods and since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, making soap and water or sanitiser readily available, has become life-saving.
Aurum Innova- specialists in innovative health care- have come up with a mobile, self-contained hand washing solution with the capacity for thousands of people to clean their hands thus preventing the spread of infection.
A subsidiary of The Aurum Institute, Aurum Innova has already installed 15 Shesha-Geza hand washing stations in the City of Ekurhuleni in Gauteng, with 15 more due to be installed in the North West. These are at health facilities where Aurum supports the government with TB and HIV treatment programmes funded by the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Bandile Mathandela, Chief Operations Officer at Aurum Innova, said they partnered with Vue Architects, who conceptualised the station. Through the partnership, the Shesha-Geza design was refined and its capacity increased ten-fold to allow for 4000 washes.
The station has three tanks built into it, which can hold between 300 and 500 litres. The tanks are filled with a solution of soap and water or an approved chlorine-based sanitising liquid.
“The Shesha-Geza is designed so that anyone using it does not have to touch anything, which of course is also to promote infection control. You use your foot to pump a peddle which dispenses soap and water or the sanitising mixture,” said Mathandela.
The two basins on either side of the station are separated by a wall of cylinders.
“On top of being a cool design feature, these are functional. They hold the wastewater. So, together with the tanks for clean water, the Shesha-Geza is completely self-contained. We only need to refill it after thousands of washes,” added Mathandela.
This makes the Shesha-Geza ideal for placement where there is high foot traffic such as at healthcare facilities. This is also where such an innovative solution is most needed.
“We are faced with a new norm of having to wash or sanitise our hands more frequently than in the past, so we need to make it easier and accessible for people. This mobile station does just that. Understanding challenges to access to clean water, and soap or sanitiser for some in our country, this solution goes a long way ensuring infection control in high volume areas,” said Mathandela.
As a recent visit to Goba Clinic in Katlehong, CDC South Africa Acting Country Director Dr Romel Lacson applauded Aurum for this innovation. He thanked the organisation for its continuous efforts in ensuring that the basics of the PEPFAR program are implemented.
