CONVENTIONAL LINEN IS ONE OF THE BIGGEST CULPRITS IN HOSPITAL ACQUIRED AS WELL AS SURGICAL SITE INFECTIONS

The ‘green colour’ linen is synonymous with hospitals, as it has been in use for centuries in hospitals world over, especially the conventional healthcare settings. But how many, even in the medical community, are really conscious about the responsibility for and the critical role of this piece of medical accessory in ensuring patient safety? Evidence from most hospitals in India indicates that not many are aware of the standards, and even if they are, not many bother with them. Again, going by real world experience, there exists another paradox. Though the actual cost of the repeated use of the linen is higher than the cost of single-use disposables (recommended in modernday care), it is still being used in a large majority of hospitals and clinics in India — because it is the convention. Therefore, transformation hesitance is more of a mindset issue rather than ignorance or economics. Most in the industry also oppose quality regulations in the country. In a market where hundreds of textile weavers and cloth merchants turned medical mask and accessory manufacturers overnight during the Covid pandemic, the market situation serves the unscrupulous minds who only eye the profits. However, there are a handful of local companies, besides the large organised players, who stick to quality products in this predominently price conscious market due to internal SOPs or pure commitment. For JAMES GEORGE, Founder and Managing Director at Kochi-based Careon Healthcare Solutions, it is more of a personal commitment. In a freewheeling interview with Editor CH UNNIKRISHNAN, George says that the primary reason behind the rise of unscrupulous players in the medical disposables market is lack of awareness among the users and the patients. Edited excerpts:

- CH UNNIKRISHNAN

Medical disposables and accessories used in hospitals do play a vital role in preventing hospital acquired and surgical site infection, two of the most serious medical challenges. But, why is the medical disposable market in the country crowded with unsafe products?

Most of the medical accessories such as surgical drapes and packs, general care products, including medical apparels, surgical gowns, surgical sheets etc., which keep the patients and healthcare workers safe and infection free, were not under the ambit of any strict quality regulations in the country. Most of the general quality certifications were either voluntary or merely part of some guidelines. So, there was no mechanism to control or penalise the offenders who are not in compliance with the supposed-to-be patient safety parameters. Even after the government introduced rules to make the registration of medical devices, disposables and accessories mandatory under the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, not all products were included in it. Now, even with the recent amendments to medical devices rules introduced last year to bring more products under the registration rules with quality norms equivalent to drug products, there is strong resistance from the industry. Therefore, this scenario has been exploited by the manufacturers, and the user industry, which is often under cost pressure, found it convenient to cut costs on these items knowingly or unknowingly.

Has this scenario, like the absence of regulations and lack of awareness, created challenges for quality manufactures?