Asian Heart Institute receives ISO 9001:2000

Now, to apply for JCI accreditation

Rita Dutta - Mumbai

After Apollo Indrapastha Hospitals bagged JCI accreditation, there seems to be a sudden surge of interest in accreditation. Asian Heart Institute (AHI), which recently received ISO 9001:2000 certification from Orion Registrar, India is now readying itself for JCI accreditation.

The hospital perceives the ISO certification as a stepping stone for JCI accreditation, which will prepare the mind set of the hospital staff towards a bigger and stricter accreditation system. But why two certifications? According To Dr Ramakant Panda, CEO, AHI, “While ISO focuses on administrative processes, JCI sees into the clinical and medical work carried out in the hospital. After all, the approaches for both the bodies are the same.” The guidance that the hospital had from consultants for preparing itself for ISO, will be useful for JCI, he added.

Does this sudden interest in accreditations and certifications have it roots in UK’s NHS turning down India’s request to send their patients to India as the hospitals here lack accreditations? “Our applying for JCI is not a marketing strategy to woo more foreign tourists. AHI receives as many as three to four foreign patients per day and has 20 per cent of its clientele from medical tourism. We do not need to go overboard with marketing ourselves,” says Dr Panda.

So, if not for medical tourism, why are hospitals pursuing accreditation? Explains Jayant Nabar, Technical Director, Orion Registrar India, “It is about putting the house in order. The benefits are more than investments.”

Accreditation process helps a hospital in streamlining work, reducing medical errors and infection control. Avers Dr Bhaskar Shah, Director, AHI, “It checks Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ). Around 45,000 to 98,000 patients die in the US due to medical error, which far exceeds deaths due to vehicular accident. Hospital losses 2.6 per cent of its gross income due to C0PQ. This deaths and losses can be avoided, if accreditation comes in place.” Agrees Dr Naresh Bedi, Chief Executive, QSS, “Worldwide 15 to 20 per cent of the revenue is lost due to COPQ.”

But would not the cost of accreditation process be passed on to patients? Defends Dr Mitul Thakker, Senior Manager, marketing, AHI, “Why is quality always equated with cost? On the contrary, quality reduces unnecessary costs as work gets streamlined.”