subject: Hospitals And Cleanliness [print this page] One would think hospitals are the cleanest of places, free of germs and infections. However, this is not the case. Government run hospitals are the worst culprits, often giving hygiene, sanitation and cleanliness only cursory attention. In private hospitals the situation is not much better. Costs and "who cares" attitude influence hygiene and cleanliness in private hospitals.
Government and public hospitals usually have full-time cleaning staff. However, their idea of cleaning is to use a mop and a bucket of water with a little bit of disinfectant added, or usually omitted if it is not available. Disinfectants and cleaning agents are becoming expensive by the day and in large hospitals, the annual bill can be substantial. With budget cuts, it is not surprising this is the first to come under the axe. Cleaning staff make do with a mop and a pail of water, often using the same mop in different wards. This spreads bacteria and infectious pathogens. Except for operation theatres and ICUs, the wards and other areas receive perfunctory cleaning. Toilets are the worst maintained in public hospitals. Supervisors and seniors may have the will but not the wherewithal to implement it. Anyone who enters a hospital for an operation or treatment enters a danger zone.
Changes Required:
The first change needed to bring about improvement is in the mindset. If politicians and those at senior levels of administration in healthcare wake up and take action, hospitals would be cleaner and safer.
Specific fund allocation for cleaning should be mandatory while deciding budgets with controls in place to prevent misappropriation and misuse as is commonly observed in public general hospitals.
Better materials and better equipments to clean and sanitize areas are a must. There is no dearth of either cleaning materials and disinfectants or cleaning equipments for small and large areas. By going in for automation public hospitals can reduce manpower and at the same time achieve far better levels of hygiene.
Outsourcing is one avenue that could at least assure better standards of hygiene. If hospitals could take a look at outsourcing the entire task of hygiene, sanitation and cleanliness to one agency using modern equipments, they can take a step towards a healthier environment. It could also work out to be more cost-effective compared to cost of maintaining stocks and staff.
In theory it is fine but who will take the first step? Maybe large private hospitals or independent inspection agencies could play a role? The public could play a greater, effective role by voicing protests and making public instances of sloppy hygiene in public hospitals. If you are looking for the best hospital in India or the Best hospital in Chandigarh or even the best hospital in Punjab then look for SGHS Hospital in Sohana.
