Patient safety is the absence of preventable harm to a patient during the process of health care and the reduction of the risk of unnecessary harm associated with health care to an acceptable minimum.

Dr. Prateek Singh, Quality Manager, Nayati Healthcare, has completed four 6 sigma Yellow belt projects with Apollo Hospitals; he is also a member of the telemedicine society of India and Certified Professionals for Quality Implementation in Hospitals for Entry Level NABH Certifications by CAHO & NABH.

Nayati Healthcare is one of the Best Super Specialty chains of Hospitals in India that specializes in cardiology, cancer, heart, kidney transplant, neuro, Orthopaedics, and much more.

Patient safety is a priority even before the COVID era 

Prateek shares his thoughts, “Patient safety is a priority for all the healthcare organizations even before the COVID era. The current COVID-19 pandemic has made us think more about patient safety aspects. Accreditation bodies like NABH, NABL, JCI support patient safety,” he says.

Contribution towards the safety of the health workers

Prateek explains, “We have designed specific training modules for our healthcare workers and have followed the WHO/ Local health ministry guidelines to ensure the safety of our healthcare workers. Screening for staff and OPD patients have been put in place. COVID and non-COVID areas have been demarcated. PPEs have been provided to healthcare workers. Hospital SOPs are made for COVID management,” he says.

Digital age and Healthcare 

Prateek sheds light on the subject, “Technology will definitely support patient safety. In India, healthcare technology is in a primitive state. We need a workforce trained in the usage of healthcare technology,” he says.

Trained manpower to curb errors

Prateek explains how Diagnostic errors, healthcare-acquired infections, medication errors, readmissions, wrong-site surgery, and communication, are the major patient safety issues, “For capturing of above-mentioned errors, currently; we have trained manpower who does daily rounds in the patient care areas and identifies it. However, healthcare technology can play a role here as well,” he says.

Edited By- Rabia Mistry Mulla