200 civil hospital staff exposed to hepatitis-B, other infections
Vishal Joshi
Tribune News Service
Kurukshetra, April 4
An internal health audit of the Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Civil Hospital has revealed that nearly 200 staff members, including doctors, are exposed to life-threatening hepatitis-B and other infections at the hospital.
Dr Karan Singh Thakur, a member of the District Quality Assurance Committee (DQAC), says the civil hospital authorities have been advised to sensitise doctors, paramedic staff and sanitation workers about health hazards at their workplace.
As the 100-bed hospital is catering to three times the number of patients to its capacity, hygiene and quality services are major issues here. However, measures are being taken for confidence building among the hospital staff, patients and attendants with emphasis on infection control management.
Modern equipment have been bought for quick infection control in the operating theaters, says Thakur. The Haryana State Health Resource Centre (HSHRC), a state health organisation, is working in Kurukshetra to improve quality standards in public health facilities.
Ever since the state-funded project was rolled out in August last year, quality management at the LNJP Civil Hospital has improved from the dismal 37 points to the optimum ranking of 70, Thakur says.
The DQAC has introduced the thermoluminescent dosimeter (TLD) badge for X-ray operators which would be periodically sent for data analysis of radiation levels in technicians.
The committee has objected to manual laundry and decided to equip the civil hospital with a fully-automated linen washer and dryer. The hospital authorities have also been advised to shift the laundry from the top floor to the ground floor for better maintenance.
Thakur says as a new hospital building plan is underway, the DAQC is trying to find cost-effective solutions for the existing infrastructure.
“The DQAC has identified crucial areas and steps have been taken to improve conditions. The HSHRC has sanctioned vaccination of the entire staff against hepatitis-B. Also, sanitation workers have been trained in safe handling of hazardous biomedical waste,” he says.
A central waste yard is being constructed for a single-point collection of segregated hospital waste.
Dr Shilpa Manchanda, district consultant, DAQC, says operating theaters must fulfil the mandatory standards. “An operating theater has been given a facelift by laying vinyl flooring and a sensor-based scrub station. Three other operating theaters are proposed to have similar features. The LNJP Civil Hospital has been equipped with protected hand-held trolleys, 50 new mattresses and pedal bins,” she says.
