Housekeeping in a hospital is an integral part of measures taken to keep infections from spreading, a speaker at a discussion on housekeeping in hospitals said.

The safety of patients and healthcare providers also depends on how the housekeeping team performs, said Soma Chakraborty, vice-president of facility and support services at Medica Superspecialty Hospital.

It is a work that involves a lot of expertise. Housekeeping doesn’t only mean cleaning a floor or mopping. Housekeeping is the frontline of defence against the proliferation of infection and here housekeeping works hand-in-hand with doctors and nurses,” said Chakraborty. Medica had organised the talk titled The Evolving Role of Housekeeping in Modern Healthcare on 16 September 2023 in Kolkata. 

The speakers also discussed the need for a separate hospital housekeeping course. They said housekeeping is now taught under hospitality management courses, but housekeeping in a hotel and in a hospital are different. If there is a certified course, then many students might want to take it up. Housekeeping focusing on how to do it in hospitals is necessary,” said a panellist.mEvery hospital has a significant number of housekeeping staff.

Ayanabh Deb Gupta, joint managing director of Medica, said they had about 400 housekeeping staff, out of a total workforce of 2,500 for 600 beds. “It is a job that requires a lot of understanding, like what chemicals to use where and in what concentration. They are responsible for keeping wards, OTs and ICUs clean,” he said over the phone.

About MEDICA SUPER SPECIALTY HOSPITAL

Medica Hospitals Pvt. Ltd., one of the largest chain of hospitals of Eastern India is committed to bring the best in healthcare. Medica Superspecialty Hospital, the flagship hospital of the group with state-of-the-art Institutes in Cardiac Surgery, Orthopaedic Sciences, Gastroenterology & GI Surgery, Neurological Diseases, Kidney Diseases, ENT and Critical Care, largest Dialysis facility, along with a host of other services and specialities under the same roof, has taken up the management of Kantilal Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Jamshedpur(proposed 150-bed hospital), Bhagwan Mahavir Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Ranchi (proposed 300-bed hospital), and Maa Lalita Medica Superspecialty Hospital, Deoghar (a modern 300-bed multispecialty hospital, the only one within a 200-km radius).

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