AMRITSAR: Setting benchmark for the healthcare system, the
Punjab state today became the second state after Kerala to roll out a national
infection control programme aimed at supporting hospitals in attaining quality-of-care standards and reducing grave problem of hospital associated
infections.
BD (Becton, Dickinson
and Company), a global medical technology company and NABH (National
Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers), a constituent
body under the Quality Council of India (QCI), have joined hands together to
launch the infection control programme.
This collaboration,
following a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the two partners
earlier, is a step towards strengthening health systems in the country and
promoting continuous quality improvement to ensure the best care for patients
when visiting hospitals with effective infection control practices in place.
With the wider rollout
of community health insurance initiatives, there is an increased demand for bed
capacity and delivery of quality healthcare services. Existing small and
medium-sized hospitals, estimated to account for more than two-thirds of all
beds, need to strengthen the quality systems. These hospitals can achieve
quality-of-care systems by standardizing and adopting necessary infection
control practices to ensure patient and healthcare worker safety.
Dr Giridhar J Gyani,
Quality Council of India, Secretary General and CEO, NABH said: “In India,
there is an urgent need to invite all healthcare institutions to be compliant
with safety standards. We are making every effort to address the necessity to
introduce quality assurance mechanisms in the healthcare system in India and
NABH accreditation therefore assumes particular significance. In this program
of SAFE-ITSM, our partner BD will provide on and off-site technical support to
the hospitals for upgrading their infection control practices. This programme
will be a stepping stone for the hospitals to begin their journey towards NABH
accreditation that will help the SAFE-ITSM hospitals to avail community
insurance schemes.”
Through this program,
NABH has recommended a minimum basic requirement for hospitals with regard to
Infection Control, comprising elements such as Injection Safety, Infusion
Safety, setting up the Infection Control protocols and policies, taking steps
towards healthcare workers safety, biomedical waste management and
sterilization & disinfection procedures. Most of these hospitals are high
in volume and have the bandwidth as well as the desire to improve clinical
outcomes; whereas the quality of care in smaller hospitals, especially which
are government empanelled is much more varied in terms of infection control
practices.
Source: Punjab
Newsline Network
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