State-Run Hospitals to Undergo Third-Party Audits to Combat Hospital Infections

To address the Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAI) issue, the Gujarat government has decided to introduce third-party audit across all state-run hospitals and health centers. According to senior officials, the department has already called for tenders and the tendering process for the agency, which will undertake the audit, is likely to be finalized in a month's time.

A senior official from the department stated, “We are taking steps to systematically monitor HAIs in government hospitals across the state. While hospitals are already required to follow protocols to prevent bacterial, viral, and fungal infections, ensuring strict compliance is essential. Since no hospital would openly acknowledge lapses that could lead to infections, an independent audit is necessary. Without a robust monitoring system, the risk of such infections increases.”

The department has invited bids from private agencies for this third-party inspection. “The final contract value will be determined after reviewing the submitted bids, and it is expected to run into several crores,” the official added.

As per the plan, the audit will cover 19 medical colleges, 76 district and sub-district hospitals, and 355 community health centers (CHCs) across Gujarat. The sample collection frequency will differ:

• The medical colleges will be tested monthly,

• District and sub-district hospitals every two months, and

• The CHCs will receive samples every three months.

The private agency carrying out the audit shall collect samples from a variety of areas within the health care facilities, including soil, medical equipment, inpatient and outpatient departments, operation theatres, trauma centers, waiting areas, and corridors. These samples will be tested for the presence of bacterial, viral, or fungal infections, and the findings will be reported to the state government.

Further, the officials elaborated that particular parameters have been defined for grading the intensity of infection in such healthcare institutions. This would ultimately contribute to improved infection control and enhanced patient safety in Gujarat. When asked about the existing data on the prevalence of HAI in the state, a senior source candidly admitted, "Currently, there is no Gujarat-specific data on HAIs, but we acknowledge that infections are a concern, and this initiative aims to address that."

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Sai Sindhuja K/MSM)