Aim: Nosocomial infections are of great concern in hospital settings especially in intensive care units. Health care professionals and their medical equipment have long been known to act as vectors of pathogens. This study aims at evaluating the presence of bacterial pathogens on stethoscopes of health care workers and to substantiate the effectiveness of alcohol swabs for decontamination of stethoscopes. Methods: 50 stethoscopes belonging to physicians, residents, interns and nurses were swabbed before and after decontamination with alcohol swab. The health care workers belonged to the medicine, surgery, obstetrics, paediatric wards and the intensive care unit. Results: 36% of the stethoscopes were contaminated. Decontamination with 70% isopropyl alcohol showed a significant decrease in contamination. The predominant organism isolated was Staphylococcus aureus (50%). Conclusion: Nosocomial infections carry a higher level of morbidity and mortality. Most stethoscopes harbour potential pathogens. A change in the attitude of health care workers to disinfect their stethoscopes regularly and in between patients will bring about a break in the chain of transmission of infection. We recommend that disinfection of stethoscope should become an integral part of undergraduate and postgraduate education