Indian health expert says he grew up hearing stories about Sindh our correspondent

Dr Girdhar J Gayani stood tall at the podium in his black suit. "Assalamoalaikum and Namaste," he called out. He began his speech, which was part of a seminar on quality accreditation in health care and its effects on patient safety, by recalling that his forefathers came from Sindh, and that he had grown up hearing stories about the province. "I pay tribute to the land of my forefathers," he said, a comment that drew thunderous applause from the crowd.

Dr Gayani is the secretary general of the Quality Council of India and part of a team of three doctors who are visiting Pakistan to share their expertise in quality accreditation in the field of medicine.

He noted that health facilities in today's world were increasingly "unsafe", and that the "sacred relationship" between a doctor and a patient was being challenged."There is an increase in deaths by road and air accidents. This [is] mainly because of medical complications. Doctors are no longer looked at as gods."

And this, he believed, was the main reason why medical accreditation was needed - not just in hospitals - but also in clinics, and day-care and fitness centres. He explained the difference between regulation and accreditation by saying that the former was thrust upon the people via government policy, while the latter was the creation of a management framework built upon maximising the patient's safety.

Dr Gayani quoted an example from India, a country known for a shortage of doctors in its rural areas. "Previously, 70 percent of the beds were from the public sector. But then we pulled the private sector into the field; so what if they worked for profit! They were organised and professional. Now, 45 percent of all beds belong to the private sector."

Dr Sanjeev Singh gave further details on the process of accreditation. He explained how the personal and nutritional needs of the patient should be met, and how planning for the discharge of a patient should begin 48 hours in advance. He also stressed that receiving a comprehensive discharge report was a patient's right, "even if he has fought with the doctors and has left against medical advice".

He quoted examples of how the illegible handwriting of doctors had created medical disasters, and that accreditation would also aim for controlling this irksome habit."All staff, even the drivers and peons, should be trained in basic life support," he said, so that emergencies could be taken care of.

Zainab Zaidi, of the Quality Council of India, shared that the seminar was an initiative to create free exchange of the best types of practices between India and Pakistan.Also present at the occasion was Dr Nishtra, the chairperson of the Aman ki Asha health committee. She opined that it was "difficult to bring standards at par with the West, primarily because the problems "we face here are different". With India, she said, "there are a number of issues that are in common".
Amin Hashwani, a well-known businessman and philanthropist, felt that "the winds between India and Pakistan are blowing positively. Aman ki Asha is a great help in bringing the two communities together."

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

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