In the demanding environment of healthcare facility management, the standard for cleanliness extends far beyond aesthetics. Christopher Blessing, Managing Director of CAERE India, shares with Keerthana Sundar, Special Correspondent, how managing a hospital requires a dual-focus strategy: maintaining rigorous clinical hygiene protocols while fostering a deep sense of empathy among the ground staff.
Drawing from experience with prominent healthcare institutions in Hyderabad, including facilities under the Narayana Hrudayalaya banner and Citizens Hospital, Blessing notes that the industry has undergone a significant shift. The priority has moved toward advanced infection control to combat Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs), a critical challenge for the medical fraternity.
“Healthcare facility management represents two sides of the same coin,” opines Blessing. “The technical side demands strict adherence to hygiene practices and standard operating procedures (SOPs). This involves training maintenance crews to follow meticulous cleaning protocols that align with accreditation standards such as NABH. The human side, however, is equally vital. Hospitals are frequented by individuals undergoing treatment and family members experiencing high levels of anxiety.”
Blessing continues: “The sensitivity of the staff we deploy must be oriented toward care and empathy. How we drive these values in our team members is fundamental to our service delivery.”
To balance these requirements, a continuous training and orientation programme is essential. This mandate ensures that every staff member undergoes a specific number of training hours per month, divided between technical skills and behavioural sensitivity.
Staffing remains a hurdle within the industry. The high-pressure environment of a hospital can lead to attrition, often resulting in a workforce where a portion of the staff is relatively new. “Healthcare clients should budget for a 10% staffing surplus to ensure a standby force is always available. This buffer helps mitigate the pressure on existing teams and maintains service quality during transition periods,” Blessing explains.
” In a sector where every touchpoint matters, the differentiator lies in deploying personnel who are not only technically proficient in disinfection but also sensitised to the delicate nature of the healthcare environment.”
— Christopher Blessing
Challenging moments also arise during accreditation audits. External auditors perform random checks, such as creating a deliberate spill to observe how quickly and accurately the team follows the SOP. Continuous, intense training is the only method to ensure that the workforce remains prepared for such scrutiny.
To monitor cleanliness and disinfection, leveraging digital tools such as ‘Smart Check’ to track activity across the topography of a property is useful. This technology allows management to monitor compliance with schedules and ensure that housekeeping tasks are completed on time.
Furthermore, a ‘check and counter-check’ methodology is employed. This system requires a staff member to certify their own work upon completion, followed by a secondary verification by a supervisor. This two-tiered approach helps eliminate risks and ensures that hygiene parameters do not fall below the required thresholds.
Crisis management in a hospital setting requires foresight. CAERE maintains a strategy of earmarking 30% to 40% of staff from other client properties who can be mobilised quickly if a personnel shortage occurs. This level of preparedness was particularly tested during the pandemic, where managing staff welfare was essential to maintaining operations:
- Quarantined Housing: Staff were provided with dedicated quarters to ensure safety
- Nutritional Support: The company provided specific meal plans to maintain the health of those working in high-risk areas like ICUs
- Specialised Training: Constant checks and SOPs were in place for handling biomedical waste and emergency spillages.
When submitting proposals to healthcare providers, Blessing emphasises the necessity of including a focus note on training costs. By detailing the mechanisms of both technical and behavioural training, the facility manager ensures that the client understands the value of a professional, empathetic workforce.