World water day held on 22nd march every year is an United Nations observance whose prime aim is to focus on the sustainable use of freshwater ( non salty water) as it is only 1% of total water. The concept of world water day was first introduced in 1993 ever since it is held on 22 nd march every year. Every year the UN sets a theme for conservation of water like women and water, water for thirsty cities etc.
This year the theme is ‘leveraging water for peace and prosperity‘ which mainly sheds light on the role of water in the stability and prosperity of the world.
Water can act as a catalyst in building better relationships with other nations as some countries with scarcity of water can cooperate with others to meet their basic need of water for sanitation and other purposes.Every year the UN task force focus on major areas where water use can be monitored properly together with its role with other fields.
As budding Doctors, the main goal should be to manage better utilisation at our level i.e. water management at hospital. Conservation and better utilisation of water at hospital level is very important as it is major centre for contamination.
Managing water at hospital level
- Regular cleaning of water tanks
- Instalment of tanks away from septic places– as it can contamninate the water which led to several water borne diseases such as typhoid, cholerae, giardia etc
- Lodging of hospital water in river only after it’s treatment– hospital water contains different chemicals and other harmful wastes which are dangerous for aquatic life
- Easy transport of water to hospitals
As per record, For the health facilities having beds less than 100, the water requirement is around 350 litres per bed per day and for hospitals having more than 100 beds the requirement escalates to around 400 litres per bed per day.
- Instalment of at least 2-3 water vending machine in each department for proper access of drinking water to patients and their family
Role of water in our body
Our body contains 70% water so water is needed for almost all the metabolic functions in our body.Drinking water doesn’t only quench our thirst but it also performs several important functions such as:
- Maintains body temperature
- Lubricates tissues in the eyes, nose and mouth
- Protects body organs and tissues
- Carries nutrients and oxygen to cells
- Lubricates joints
- Lessens burden on the kidneys and liver by flushing out waste products
- Dissolves minerals and nutrients to make them accessible to your body
Normal requirement of water
For a healthy person daily requirement of water is :
- About 15.5 cups (3.7 L)/day for men.
- About 11.5 cups (2.7 L)/day for women.
Practices for staying hydrated
- Getting enough water and staying hydrated helps us perform our best whether we’re going for a run or literally running errands. Proper hydration helps keep our energy levels up,” says jillian Wanik , a famous dietician
- Having water a major constituent of our body, it’s no surprise that our body should be hydrated all the time here are some tips to stay hydrated
- Start early ,drink more water as you start your day even when you don’t feel thirst
- Always keep a water bottle with yourself
- Always drink more water when you exercise
- Add hydrating meals such as fruits in your diet
Introducing these habits in daily life will not only keep your body hydrated but also maintain your metabolic functions at normal levels.
So this world water day let’s try to bring some positive changes at our level.
Read (UNESCO’s article on World water day) https://www.unesco.org/en/days/world-water#:~:text=World%20Water%20Day%20is%20held,sustainable%20management%20of%20freshwater%20resources.
Read : https://medcollegedarshan.com/index.php/2023/09/02/harmful-effects-of-sunlight-and-uv-on-skin/
