Hospital visits by default expose you to infections. Addressing this concern, aimed specifically at reducing in-patient and visitors’ exposure to this deadly cocktail of viruses and bacteria, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) is for the first time bringing in a “tailor-made checklist for infection control.”
“The aim is simple: bring in higher accountability and ensure that hospitals that are high risk zones for infections are kept as sanitised as possible. This is being done through a checklist that has been brought in for various departments of the hospitals including the operation theatres, which are our main focus,” said AIIMS deputy director (administration) V Srinivas.
The Institute has 2,345 in-patient beds, with nearly three million out-patient visits a year, which translates into 8,000-10,000 patients a day with as many attendants posing an enormous challenge to housekeeping. Incorporating the staff strength of 14,000 — regular and contractual — and visitors, the total footfall, daily, at AIIMS reaches nearly 50,000.
“At a budget of a crore we are hoping to spruce up the country’s premiere medical institute and the measures brought in will be followed up by inspection and even fines in the areas where the standards are not maintained,” said Mr. Srinivas.
He added that this standardised protocol/checklist will be brought in soon. And this will be supplemented by continuous internal assessment and review of performance related to hygiene, cleanliness and sanitation. A team consisting of domain experts will be constituted to assess the pre-determined periodic intervals.
The hospital authorities maintained that high risks zones in the institutes have been identified. “Maximum infections happen in operation theatre units (major and minor), intensive care units, cardiac care and neonatal units. The other high risk zones include emergency and casualty, labour rooms, radiation and chemotherapy rooms.”
AIIMS authorities claim that they are “going super micro here with attention being given to things like cleaning of the patient care area/room, routine bathroom cleaning, floor mopping, cleaning of operation rooms and ambulances and cleaning of spills (blood and body parts).”
The key result areas identified for the purpose include immediate external environment, hospital upkeep, hospital support services, infection control, waste management, hygiene promotion and feedback system.
“An objective checklist based sanitation outcome assessment is being formulated for public recognition of sanitation workers and supervisors as a motivational tool for sanitation,” said a senior AIIMS officer.
