Nosocomial infection rate is often higher for intensive care unit (ICU) than other units of hospitals, and hands of health-care workers (HCWs) as well as on resident duty doctors play a major role in the transmission of the infections. Aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of conventional hand wash with the Isopropyl alcohol Hand rub in reducing the transient bacterial flora on the hands of nurses and posted doctors in a Gastromedicine ICU. The 32 nurses and 14 resident duty doctors posted in our ICU during JanuaryMarch 2022 were included in this observational study. A total of 250 samples were collected for the residual bacterial flora on fingers using the impression method on MacConkey agar plates. The subjects then used Isopropyl alcohol hand rub or conventional hand wash and the residual bacterial flora was rechecked by testing the impression of fingers on MacConkey agar. Escherichia coli, Klebsiella spp., non-lactose fermenting Gram-negative bacilli, staphylococci, and streptococci formed the transient bacterial flora on the hands. Moderate to heavy bacterial density was seen in more than 94 % of the hands before washing or hand rub application. Conventional hand wash resulted in a drastic reduction in the transient bacterial flora on hands in 55 % of cases whereas Isopropyl alcohol hand rub achieved the effect in 97 % of the samples. Compared with conventional hand wash, Isopropyl alcohol hand rub is far more efficient in reducing transient bacterial flora on the hands of HCWs, and in resident duty doctors it is more convenient and timesaving. It is recommended as a hand hygiene practice in critical areas especially in the gastro medicine ICU because most of the patients are immunocompromised and it may act as a protective barrier.