Is the Laundry Gap Compromising Patient Safety in Hospitals?

In India’s fast-changing healthcare environment, patient safety and infection prevention remain at the forefront of operational priorities. Yet one mission-critical function continues to be overlooked: healthcare laundry. According to Akash Dharamsey, Managing Director, ADD Laundry Concepts Pvt. Ltd, the quality, safety and traceability of processed linen have a direct and measurable impact on Hospital-Acquired Infections, hygiene compliance and overall clinical outcomes. As hospitals scale and hygiene expectations rise, he stresses that the gaps in laundry infrastructure, technology and workforce competence must be addressed with urgency.

Lack of Standardised Guidelines

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Although, post COVID, a lot of work has gone into creating a unified standard, there is lack of enforcement of the national standards for healthcare linen processing. As a result;

Disinfection protocols vary by hospital
Thermal and chemical disinfection are inconsistently applied
Documentation and validation are rare
Workflow design depends on individual interpretation

This uneven landscape leaves room for hygiene lapses and cross-contamination.

Infrastructure Designed as an Afterthought

Many hospital laundries operate in cramped basements or repurposed service areas with limited;

Proper soil-to-clean segregation
Space for sorting, washing and finishing
Quarantine zones for infected linen

Without dedicated planning, compliance with hygiene best practices becomes difficult.

Low Adoption of Modern Technology

While technologies such as tunnel washing systems, barrier washers, pneumatic conveyors, automated dosing and RFID tracking are globally a standard, our adoption remains minimal due to;

High capex
Limited awareness of lifecycle savings
Short-term budgeting pressures
Lack of trained operators

This gap widens the divide between required and actual hygiene outcomes.

Infection Control Vulnerabilities

Healthcare laundry often handles infectious linen containing blood, body fluids, and microbial contaminants. Yet challenges persist:

Mixing of infectious and non-infectious items
Manual handling without PPE
Unwashed trolleys and bags
Inadequate thermal disinfection

These practices increase the risk of Hospital-Acquired Infections within healthcare facilities.

Workforce Skill Shortage

Healthcare laundry requires higher competency levels than a commercial laundry, but it faces:

High staff turnover
Limited training programs
Poor understanding of wash chemistry and disinfection
Gaps in PPE discipline

A poorly trained team can undermine even the best equipment.

Inefficiencies in Chemicals, Water, and Process Control

Precise control over temperature, pH, detergent concentration, and contact time is essential to validated disinfection. However:

Many operations rely on manual dosing
Water hardness varies widely
Wash formulas are often generic, not medical-specific
Rewash percentages remain high

These inefficiencies compromise hygiene and increase costs.

Linen Loss and Premature Damage

Hospitals regularly report:

Missing linen between wards and laundry
Overloading of washer extractors
Incorrect finishing temperatures
High damage and rejection rates

Lack of tracking systems (RFID/barcodes) worsens accountability issues.

Lack of Environmental Compliance

Healthcare laundry wastewater contains chemical residues and microbial load. However:

Many laundries lack functioning ETP/STP integration
Wastewater testing is irregular
Chemical discharge documentation is weak

Environmental non-compliance is becoming a growing regulatory risk.

Challenges with Outsourced Laundry Models

As hospitals increasingly outsource laundry:

Not all vendors meet healthcare-specific hygiene standards
Some lack barrier systems and infection handling capability
Transport hygiene is inconsistent
Price-driven contracts compromise quality

This exposes hospitals to compliance and infection control risks.

A Call for Modernisation and Alignment

The healthcare laundry sector is at a turning point. With rising patient volumes, the expansion of private healthcare, and greater emphasis on infection control, the need for:

Standardisation
Infrastructure planning
Modern technology adoption
Skilled workforce development
End-to-end hygiene accountability has never been greater.

Countries with mature healthcare systems treat laundry as a critical medical process—not a secondary support function. We must strive to move in the same direction.

The Road Ahead

Industry stakeholders, including hospitals, laundry operators, equipment suppliers, chemical companies and policymakers, must collaborate to build a robust, future-ready ecosystem. Investments in an appropriate laundry set-up, automation, validated processes and professional training will be key drivers of transformation.

Healthcare laundry is not just about clean linen. It is about patient safety, infection control and trust. And it is time the sector receives the attention, resources and respect it truly deserves.