Even as hospitals maintain daily care routines, monsoon season brings floods and power failures that test their resilience. Ensuring uninterrupted services during these crises requires robust emergency protocols and proactive risk management. Dr. Jaee Kelkar, Director at NIO Super Speciality Hospital, Pune, outlines the comprehensive measures her team has implemented—from fire safety and backup power systems to water contingency plans and hazardous waste management—to keep critical healthcare operations running smoothly when the skies open.
Hospitals are among the most critical infrastructures of any given society, providing basic health care and life-saving interventions. Not only is it necessary but also absolutely vital that the operational and safety assurance of their functioning be guaranteed. The activity within the hospital is of a type that it is susceptible to a range of risks, any one of which can compromise care, injure patients, and strain resources beyond what is reasonable. To counteract that, a balanced risk evaluation and mitigation plan becomes the support of operational resilience.
We have identified within our organization many broad risk categories that must be tackled through formal intervention. Fire is the most critical danger. Hazards can be generated through malfunctioning of electrical systems, faulty smoke detectors, or improperly stored flammable materials. In an effort to curb this, we conduct routine inspection of fire protection systems, like monthly smoke detector servicing and quarterly fire extinguisher checks. There are daily inspections to ensure hydrant water levels and periodic training exercises to ensure that personnel are qualified to manage fire incidents. Evacuation drills are conducted regularly in anticipation of events that involve smoke penetration into patient spaces.
Supply of power is also a cause of concern. Hospitals make use of electricity for the use of equipment, life support systems, lighting, and computer networks. In the event of power failure, which during monsoon is very common, we rely on high-capacity diesel generators with a daily run test. Besides, critical care departments like OTs, and server rooms have UPS systems to ensure continuous supply of stable power so that operations can be resumed. These are run on a regular basis in order to avoid malfunction during true emergencies.
Water supply interruptions, although less dramatic, are just as devastating, particularly in hygiene and patient care. To have constant supply, we have stand-by supplies like borewells and use third-party vendors whenever needed. Preventive maintenance agreements with plumbing vendors enable us to control leakages, which are maintained and serviced quarterly. We try to counteract this through having working sump pumps, making daily checks, and positioning equipment storage where possible above ground level. This is part of our full monsoon preparedness initiative.
Toxic material management, including chemicals and bio-medical waste, is also a vital danger. Improper disposal or exposure to these factors can lead to harm to the patients and employees. Regular training programs are conducted from time to time to remind individuals about the correct way of handling, along with the use of individual protective equipment. Our housekeeping managers and HR department coordinate to monitor this pivotal part in terms of compliance and accountability.
Regulatory compliance is not negotiable for hospital safety either. Non-compliance with government regulations or missing deadlines for renewal of statutory licenses may put accreditation in jeopardy as well as patient trust. We have an administrative mechanism to monitor each expiration date of licenses and have assigned responsibility to the Safety Officer and Quality Manager for ensuring ongoing reporting of compliance.
There is a need for constant monitoring of environmental and facility safety. For example, delays from waste disposal contractors can result in backlogs we avoid through standby alternative vendors. In natural disasters, we have neighboring hospitals as mutual aid participants, particularly for waste incineration.
Lastly, elevator breakdowns, though may appear to be minor, can be dangerous, particularly in case of emergency situations. To ensure safety, we perform daily mechanical and electrical tests on AMC terms. All lifts are equipped with Automatic Rescue Devices (ARDs) and also have standby power sources. In the event of emergency situations such as fire, evacuation chairs and personnel guarantee patient transfer for uninterrupted operations.
Finally, hospital safety should be given its dynamic, fluid status as a discipline. A good risk assessment, underpinned by transparent mitigation and accountability, guarantees access to patient care never severed even in time of distress. Auditing routinely, ongoing training of staff, and systems of real-time response enable health institutions to evolve, react, and protect lives with unyielding passion.
