Chennai hosts 3 Day International Conference CAHOCON on Patient Safety in Hospitals starting April 10
New Delhi: Patient safety in hospitals is a global concern, more so in India. It may sound odd to worry about safety of patients in hospitals as we often hear being said that if you reach hospital in time you largely become safe . We hear a lot about ‘golden hour’ being critical for saving patients’ life. But golden hour is a misnomer if the hospital we go to is not steeped in culture of quality care and safety of patients.
The harsh reality is, even in USA, medical errors in hospitals are the third biggest reason of deaths in hospitals in America. Think of it as regards with Indian hospitals. Thankfully, a patient safety movement called CAHO (Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organizations) which is catching up fast among hospitals is in place in India. The ice on the cake is that its annual event CAHOCON in Chennai has been co-opted by ISQua ( International Society for Quality in Health Care), the apex global body to promote quality and safety improvement in healthcare. 3 day CAHOCON is beginning from April 10 in Chennai. Patient safety question in Indian hospitals will assume global dimension in this conference.
ISQua has co opted Chennai safety conclave as its own first South Asia regional conference. CAHO (Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organizations), a unique patient safety movement body in India, gets great shot in the arm from ISQua’s recognition. The ultimate international quality body in healthcare could not ignore the growing power of CAHO.
What Dr Ezequiel Garcia Elorrio, President of ISQua said in a webinar not long ago, gives an idea how CAHO has grown in its stature in the world over a decade of its existence. It is a unique movement in World. Dr Elorrio in no uncertain terms said, ‘It is a privilege for ISQua to be associated with CAHO which is amazing and quite motivating.’ Coming as it does from the highest body for global healthcare quality; it is quite an achievement and speaks volume about CAHO. ISQua has named CAHOCON as its first South Asia Regional Conference. ISQu declared it in 61st International webinar with CAHO. The contingent of world body is coming to participate in Chennai CAHOCON in full force.
Dr Vijay Agarwal, President, CAHO who was in the webinar said, ‘I feel quite elated at this development. It is a badge of honor on CAHO and quite recognition of our campaign. CAHO’s partnership with ISQua will go a long way in further firming up our resolve for making patient safety and quality care a culture in Indian hospitals. This recognition will also give a fillip to India’s standing as healthcare tourism hub in the world. It will bring global experience in healthcare at India’s doorstep.’ For the past five years CAHO has been organizing webinar with ISQua on Tuesday every month in which interlocutors from over 20 countries would participate. Dr Lallu Joseph, presently the Secretary General of CAHO, who was conducting the webinar, was visible thrilled at this gesture of ISQua. Her efforts in making CAHO a vibrant organization has been immense.
CAHO (Consortium of Accredited Healthcare Organizations) is a movement in India for inculcating culture of safety of patients and quality of care in hospitals. CAHO has achieved a lot in its journey so far. This ISQua recognition is greatest of all. But it is also a fact that it still has a long way to go. The last CAHOCON in Delhi in hotel Pullman was also a huge draw and marked the highest point in quest for culture of Patient safety. Chennai Conference is poised to be unprecedented in its importance.
There are tangible achievements of the unique safety movement as every hospital now is or desires to be on CAHO’s bandwagon and aspire to be seen as having these twin virtues. As India is poised to become health tourism hub due to its much cheaper costs of world grade treatment, the seal of having these attributes is going to be sine qua non for attracting foreign clients. CAHO in a way is priming Indian hospitals to reap he impending windfall of profits from health tourism. CAHO is a unique phenomenon starting in India a decade ago.
CAHO is now a vibrant movement and is making global healthcare leaders to sit up and emulate. The global accreditation majors certifying hospitals for quality care like JCI (Joint Commission International and AACI ( American Accreditation Commission International) et al are reinventing themselves to measure up to standards of safety of patients enunciated by CAHO. CAHO is grooming hospitals in two ways, one impressing upon them to the urgent need of getting accredited and two, going beyond accreditation and embrace culture of quality of care and safety of patients.
