Hospital Acquired Infections (HAIs) present a huge challenge to healthcare systems globally. It is something that the patients usually do not pay particular attention to even as the hospital authorities keep their fingers crossed. When patients place their trust in hospitals, it’s obligatory on their part to ensure cleanliness, infection prevention & control and hygiene. All these must form a part of the institution’s approach to patient handling. Harish Trivedi, Regional CEO of CARE Hospitals at Quality CARE India Ltd, shares insights on the challenges hospitals face and how to arrive at solutions.
Building and putting in a resilient operational structure is the key. This will
ensure every shift, every team and every corner of the hospital aligns to the
same high standards.”
— Harish Trivedi
Identifying Critical Zones
A significant challenge involves maintaining stringent hygiene standards in high-risk zones such as intensive care units (ICU), Central Sterile Service Departments (CSSD), transplant units and operating theatres (OT). These are the areas in hospitals where patients are vulnerable the most. Sustaining a high level of vigilance is difficult, particularly in facilities where the patient load is huge. Even though patient flow is continuous and emergencies arrive at al hours, it is imperative that the hospital has more than just good intentions to uphold hygiene standards.
Solution: Systems & Structure
Adopting a comprehensive and systems-driven approach to hygiene and infection prevention and control is an absolute must. This will comprehensively cover every part of the patient’s journey — from admission to recovery and even post discharge. These high-risk zones are managed under a stringent cleaning and disinfection regimen, grounded firmly in global best practices from National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and World Health Organization.
Protocols, driven by a well-established hospital acquired infection control and prevention committee, involve layered cleaning schedules, terminal disinfection and robust surveillance. Infection-control nurses and link nurses too are a part of it. It must also include usage of state-of-the-art technologies like ultraviolet-C light for microbial eradication and monitor & review infection control indicators.
Environmental surveillance, through routine swabs and lab tests, ensures sanitised environments remain safe over time, whenever the infection control committee recommends it.
Tackling Patient Inflow
Building and putting in a resilient operational structure is the key. This will ensure every shift, every team and
every corner of the hospital aligns to the same high standards. It entails:
- Staffing solutions that prioritise quality and consistency, such as scheduled shift rotations to prevent burnout
- Digital workforce management systems that provide real-time information
- Training programmes across skill personnel to ensure flexibility without compromising infection control
standards - Equipping housekeeping teams with checklists, digital monitoring tools and well-defined standard operating
procedures to ensure nothing falls through the cracks, be it 3 PM or 3 AM - Infection control teams stringently monitoring and reviewing all the above
- Have well-developed infection prevention bundles for Catheter-Associated Urinary Tract Infection (CAUTI),
Ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP), Central Line-Associated Bloodstream Infection (CLABSI) and Surgical
Site Infection (SSI). - Training staff to implement these bundles and reviewing compliance daily.
Waste Not, Want Not
A critical challenge in infection control is the safe management of biomedical waste. Improper segregation and disposal can lead to contamination and pose risks to everyone on the institution premises. Clearing rubbish must be seen as a responsibility.
Solution: Closed Loop System
Implementing strict, colour-coded segregation of waste at the source is the key. Embedded with barcode tracking, it ensures traceability from the point of generation to final disposal. This closed loop system not only prevents contamination but also strengthens our compliance with state and central regulations. It is very important that authorities work only with licensed biomedical waste disposal partners to ensure safe and eco-friendly treatment of hazardous materials.
Tackling Germs
Traditional cleaning methods can be time consuming and may not always achieve optimal microbial eradication, especially in high traffic or specialised areas.
Solution: Smart Remedies
Technology has played a transformative role in advancing hygiene efforts. Electrostatic sprayers now allow performance of deep cleaning instantaneously with high surface coverage, which is ideal for high-footfall areas like a hospital. In specialized zones, autonomous UV-C disinfection robots assist in eliminating residual microbial presence after manual cleaning. environmental monitoring systems integrated with IoT sensors alert teams to anomalies in air or surface conditions before they escalate into problems. These innovations lead to both increased efficiency and measurable infection reduction.
The real indicator of a good and trustworthy hospital is not just when patients are satisfactorily treated for their illnesses and diseases but in ensuring they do not leave its premises with any additional or new problems.”
Patients As Partners
While internal clinical processes are tightly controlled, the human element introduces variability (VULNERABILITY READS BETTER HERE I THINK). A visitor who forgets to sanitise his/her hands or a patient attendant unaware of respiratory etiquette could become a vector for infection, posing a challenge to overall infection control.
Solution: Engaging Everyone
- Roll out a comprehensive hygiene awareness campaign across the hospital.
- Put to use multilingual signage and expert videos
- Make hand sanitising units accessible and available at every touchpoint
- Create an environment that educates while enabling
- Include hygiene briefings for visitors and attendants reinforcing accountability and awareness
Beyond Checklist: A Culture of Clean
For hygiene to be truly effective, it must be more than a checklist; it needs to be a deeply embedded value system. Cultivating and sustaining an organisational culture presents a continuous challenge. Building a legacy of trust and safety is of paramount importance.
Ultimately, culture elevates hygiene from a checklist to a value system. Authorities must continuously invest in culture building through simulation-based learning for clinical staff, daily infection control surveillance, monthly reviews, and regular infection control audits.
Public dashboards should transparently display compliance metrics. By encouraging open dialogue between departments and involving every staff category — clinical, cleaning, and administrative — foster shared accountability for cleanliness and safety.
The sustainability of these efforts comes not just from technology or policies, but from an organization-wide commitment to doing the right thing for every patient, every time. Infection control is no longer simply a department at hospitals; it is a way of working, thinking and caring. In this way, we do not just respond to infection risks; we actively design them out of the equation.
Responding to Challenges
From new pathogens to increasing patient loads, hospitals will continue to face new challenges. The hygiene standards we establish today will shape patient outcomes tomorrow. We must ensure that every step within our walls leads not just to treatment, but to safety, healing and trust.
