Jagger, who visited two hospitals in New Delhi, interacted with the garbage disposal staff and was alarmed to find that they suffered from as many as two-three needle stick injuries every week.

“There are safer ways to dispose needles,” Jagger says pointing out that they have helped countries set up a surveillance system under the Exposure Prevention Information Net (EPINET).

“We need to secure the lives of health care workers who face a significant risk of hospital-based infections,’’ says Jagger. In the US, an aggressive health surveillance system has brought down about 12,000 occupational infections per year to barely a handful, she told The Indian Express.

“There are three main blood borne viral infections that health care workers are exposed to including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV. We have ensured that the vaccine against Hepatitis B is given to all levels of health care workers,” says Jagger.

In India, however, 85 per cent of the health care workers are in the private setting and the lack of a legislation aggravates the problem of their safety, say doctors at the conference. However, a beginning has been made in India as there is awareness about the need for documentation of infection cases, says Jagger.