Tumakuru dist govt hospital excels in cleanliness, bags Rs 50 lakh in prize money

Farheen Hussain / TNN / Nov 7, 2019, 10:14 IST

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Government-run hospitals are usually dismissed for poor sanitation, lack of basic medical infrastructure and for being short-staffed. But Tumakuru District Government Hospital has turned out to be an exception. On Wednesday, the hospital, which stands as a paragon of cleanliness and hygiene, bagged the state government’s Kayakalpa Award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 50 lakh.

Tumakuru dist govt hospital excels in cleanliness, bags Rs 50 lakh in prize money

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BENGALURU: Government-run hospitals are usually dismissed for poor sanitation, lack of basic medical infrastructure and for being short-staffed. But Tumakuru District Government Hospital has turned out to be an exception. On Wednesday, the hospital, which stands as a paragon of cleanliness and hygiene, bagged the state government’s Kayakalpa Award, which carries a cash prize of Rs 50 lakh.
The hospital was marked on the following parameters — Facility upkeep, sanitation and hygiene, waste management, staff dedication and discipline, among others.

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It’s rare to hear of government hospitals earning rave reviews, besieged as they are by multiple woes. Tumakuru District Government Hospital stands as a shining example of how earnest efforts can show results. While public health facilities often face the flak for not meeting standards, this particular facility is leading the way even for private setups, which are eager to take a leaf out of its book. If more government hospitals were to follow its best practices, the state’s healthcare story could take a turn for the better, especially when a bulk of its beneficiaries cannot afford private medical care.

The public health facility, which regularly receives feedback from patients on improving quality, is mopped clean thrice every day. In fact, workers there have been training staff from some private hospitals on the art of keeping such places 100 per cent infectionfree. From minimum hygienic conditions to shiny floors and zero hospital-acquired infection, the facility has managed to flip its image in the last couple of years. Eighty employees look after cleanliness of the 25-acre facility.

Dr TA Veerabhadriah, district surgeon, said the transformation is a result of the teamwork of 400-odd staffers, who have gone beyond their call of duty to maintain cleanliness on the premises, educate newcomers and help improve patient experience through polite and friendly services.
“In the last one year, the number of OPD patients has gone up from around 600 to over 1,600 per day,” Dr Veerabhadriah told TOI.
The hospital boasts ofzero hospital-acquired infection and this they have achieved by advising vulnerable groups like children and senior citizens to limit their visits and providing step-by-step guide (through signboards) to stay clean.

Dr Manjunath KR, a former National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) coordinator at the hospital, said their bio-medical segregation unit serves as a model for private hospitals in the district. The hospital plans to use the prize money to further improve infrastructure and patient experience.
A national initiative
Kayakalpa Award is a national initiative to recognise public health facilities that show high levels of cleanliness, hygiene and infection control. It was started in 2015 to complement Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, launched in 2014.

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