Patients Are Our Boss: Girdhar Gyani

“Healthcare is facing significant challenges, but it’s also made tremendous progress, said Girdhar Gyani, Director General, Association of Health Care Providers (India) in Oncology Summit. In 1947, the average life expectancy was just 32 years, but today it is 72 years old, and we want to take it to 84. “This remarkable improvement is largely due to the advancements in medical technology, the expertise of doctors and nurses, and the increased awareness of the healthcare community,” he said.

As India’s healthcare industry has grown, so has the demand for quality care. Quality in health care formally came to India in 2005 when questions were raised about many patients from developed and developing countries wanting to come to India for treatment. In 2005, concerns were raised in Parliament about patients from various countries seeking treatment in India. In 2005, there were over 300 hospitals with state-of-the-art facilities, but the question remained: how do patients choose the right hospital?

“To address this, we developed a quality accreditation system for hospitals. So, we can say that quality accreditation started with medical tourism. We took 8–9 months to develop that system.” Gyani added

This accreditation system is closely tied to patient safety. There is not much difference between quality and patient safety. They are two sides of the same coin. “Unintentional errors, such as those involving medical equipment, medication, negligence, and hospital-acquired infections, can have devastating consequences. To mitigate these risks, we created a mechanism that includes training, protocol development, and other measures. This is what we call accreditation,” he added.

Today, out of India’s 60,000 hospitals, around 20,000 have received accreditation or certifications. The focus of accreditation is patient safety, and everyone in the hospital plays a crucial role in ensuring seamless operations.

The National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) is a constituent board of the Quality Council of India, set up to establish and operate accreditation programmes for healthcare organisations. The board is structured to cater to the much-desired needs of consumers and to set benchmarks for the progress of the health industry. The board, while supported by all stakeholders, including industry, consumers, and the and the government, has full functional autonomy in its operation.

“From billing staff to hospital administrators, teamwork is essential to delivering quality healthcare. Ultimately, patients are our boss, and it’s our responsibility to ensure their safety and well-being,” he added.