I was in conversation with some people from GSK in Ruby Hall Clinic in my OPD room E 7. We started talking on various subjects and the topic of infection control cropped up! It brought back memories of the day I joined RHC when Dr. A R Banerji was the Medical Director and Dr. Nita Munshi was the HOD of Patho/Micro (Still is!). The three of us started on a journey where we set up the Infection control unit and started various activities under its umbrella! As one can imagine there was a lot of scepticism and various reactions from our colleagues and all levels of staff in a bustling busy hospital 45 years in the service of the population of Pune and the rest of India and some parts of the world! They must have wondered that what are these people upto! We managed to garner strength in numbers and our group was formidable where all the floor matrons and the Nursing Supdt and various technicians like Mahesh Bhonsle, Marjee etc gathered in the MD's office! We met every week and went on rounds! We looked for dust and advocated hand hygiene. We started the concept of sterile dressing gauze packs and abolished the drum and Cheatle forceps from the jursing trolley. I designed a poster starring the nonagenarian Dr. K B Grant for a hand wash campaign which I wanted to unleash on the walls of the hospital! It showed Dr. Grant washing his hands with sterilium gel with a message that he washed hands before and after every patient contact! For various reasons the posters were not put up!
However 5 years down the line Ruby Hall has got the coveted NABH accreditation! We can now see sterilium bottles dotted everywhere in the hospital! My poster has resurfaced! My juniors wash hands!
I am happy!
:-)