Apollo Hospitals marks 10 years of JCI accreditation in India

Social Media fear grips Corporate Hospitals

New Delhi, July 31:  Paula Wilson, CEO of JCI, the highest global accreditation, which vouches for the quality of a corporate hospital, warned, ‘ beware, social media is going to kill you hospitals’.

She was speaking at a function in Indraprastha Apollo’s auditorium on the hospital’s completion of 10 years of JCI accreditation. Apollo was the first hospital in India and 6^th in Asia to get this accreditation in 2005.

In the same function yesterday, Dr. Anupam Sibal, Group Medical Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, added, ‘Social media is going to prove disruptive for corporate hospitals’.

It emerged from what speakers spoke one after another that corporate hospitals are looking at social media as a ‘virus’ that may kill their reputation if they do not dust their workings.

On the sidelines, talking to Meditoall editor in chief Dhananjay Kumar, CEO, JCI (The Joint Commission Internatonal) Ms Paula Wilson said, ‘Yes, corporate hospitals will ignore social media to their peril. If they want their reputation intact, they must monitor social media intently and should customize themselves giving due regards to what is being thought in social media realm’. She said, ‘JCI is no guarantee that no error will happen during treatment. There should be a mechanism in the hospital so that errors do not go unnoticed. It should be ensured that the error does not recur. If it does that is criminal.

Hearing the open session in which doctors, nurses and other medical mandarins spoke their mind, it emerged that errors are mostly tried to be brushed under the carpet due to fear of bad reputation of the hospital or losing the job. Over 200 healthcare quality professionals took part in the event.

Manish Sisodia, the Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, also was a guest in one of the sessions. According to the press release, Mr. Sisodia congratulated the Apollo Hospitals Group and the entire team and expressed his desire to replicate their committed efforts and excellence across the capital in several new health initiatives that the government is planning to set up.

Ms. Sangita Reddy, Joint MD, Apollo Hospitals Group said, ‘Apollo Hospitals has always been a fore-runner in quality improvement and patient safety. We were the first ones to bring the JCI accreditation to India and sixth of our hospitals are accredited today.’

Mr. Jaideep Gupta, MD, Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals said ‘Indraprastha Apollo Hospitals has always set benchmarks in patient care, clinical research protocols and healthcare delivery systems. The JCI accreditation is testimony to Apollo Hospitals’ constant endeavor to provide world-class patient care and maintain highest standards in healthcare delivery systems in India.’

Speaking about the accreditation, Dr. Sibal said, ‘The JCI accreditation is a recognition and reiteration of Apollo Hospitals’ commitment to provide healthcare services of international standards in the country. Our endeavor is to provide excellent clinical outcomes and accreditation has helped us in this’. Mr. Prabhu Vinayagam, MD Asia Pacific Region, JCI graced the function.