The healing touch

THE WEEK honoured hospitals that extended affordable and quality care

- POOJA BIRAIA JAISWAL

NINETEEN MONTHS INTO the pandemic, hospitals across India have earned battle scars. Yet they have renewed, reformed and redefined themselves. Having faced tough times in the face of unprecedented financial stress, huge patient loads and fatalities, and a sharp decline in revenues, hospitals learnt their lessons early on and started implementing policies that could redefine the way health care is managed.

For instance, universal masking and hand washing became institutionalised. Screening of patients and staff on a regular basis to minimise the risk of cross-contamination has become a priority across most hospitals. As we move on into the next year, it is pertinent to know that the ‘next normal’ for health care sector will look nothing like the ‘normal’ we leave behind.