COMPARATIVE STUDY OF MICROBIOLOGICAL AIR QUALITY OF PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS IN MYSURU CITY

Air contains large number of microorganisms including bacteria and fungi and their estimation is important as an index of cleanliness for any particular environment. The microbial quality of indoor air of five wards/units of private and government Hospital was conducted. Sedimentation technique using open petri-dishes containing different culture media was employed and samples were done twice daily, one in the morning shortly after cleaning before influx of people into wards and other in the noon when lot of activities would have taken place in these wards. The highest bacterial population was recorded in the afternoon ranging from 31cfu/m3 to 90cfu/m3 in government hospital and 20cfu/m3 to 78cfu/m3 in private hospital, with the orthopedic ward recording the highest bacterial counts of 90cfu/m3 in government hospital and lobby with the bacterial count of 78cfu/m3 in private hospital. The concentration of fungal population in the air of five different wards in two hospitals studied was recorded high in the afternoon ranging from 18cfu/m3 to 48cfu/m3 with the maternity ward recording the highest fungal counts of 40cfu/m3 in government hospital and lobby with the fungal count of 48cfu/m3 in private hospital. The statistical analysis showed no significant difference between the microbial population obtained during the wet and dry seasons in both hospitals studied