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

Top corporate, business leaders to attend Aman ki Asha event aimed at boosting professional, institutional ties
our correspondent
KARACHI: The first .....more

By Yudhvir Rana AMRITSAR: The Pakistani parliamentarians have floated the idea of soft transportation between India and Pakistan during meeting with their .....more

By Sohail MirzaVisiting Karachi last month on a private visit to attend Mehdi Hasan Khan saheb's chehlum, the legendary Indian singer Hari Haran took some .....more

From: Chintan Girish Modi Date: Sat, 18 Aug 2012
To: Shiraz Hasan
Subject: Eid Mubarak
Dear Shiraz
Eid Mubarak! Hope you are having a great ti .....more

RIP Hangal, great actor, humanist
Sialkot-born Kashmiri Pandit A.K. Hangal fought against the British colonizers, who imprisoned him for three years in .....more

Hi, I am Aqsa from Quetta, Pakistan.When being a devout patriot means despising the rest of the world, it's no longer national pride but a mental disease that needs cure.
.....more Page 33 of 174
Special Editions
more editions
The News on Sunday Special Report: India Pakistan prisoners
We probably didn't need to do this Special Report. Newspaper stories don't matter when it comes to Indians in Pakistani jails and vice versa. In fact, 'vice versa' sums it up. We do to them what they do to us.
Except when the two countries decide to begin talking, yet again! This time a little before the foreign secretary level talks, some Pakistani prisoners were released by India (and vice versa must have happened) and some more were release....read more
Blog
more
For the past 2 years the Jang Group and Geo have been working on a project of great national interest; one that we hope will help usher in an era of peace and prosperity in the country and indeed, in the region. And one that hopefully all Pakistanis can be proud of.
The Jang Group has entered into an agreement with the Times of India Group, the largest media group of India, to campaign for peace betw
Global Media




Comments