Productivity in services is how we transform the inputs into outputs, which are valued by the customer. Quality is the degree to which the service satisfies a customer by meeting their wants and expectations.
Medical Research Centre : The Research Centre is recognized by the Indian Council of Medical Research and the Department of Science and Technology, Government of India. Its activities include regular weekly clinical meetings in which interesting cases and advances in medicine are presented. The Library attached to the Research Centre offers a strong collection of books and journals, carefully selected to meet the needs of the hospital staff. It also provides access to MEDLINE, the world’s largest medical database. The research centre continuously strives to improve the medical care given to patients by devising better ways of preventing, diagnosing and treating diseases. Studies are carried out using powerful new technologies based on molecular biology. Special areas of interest include Breast Cancer and infections.
Breast Cancer: Currently the Surgical Pathology staff is conducting studies to identify early pre-cancerous changes in the breast using tumor markers. The aim is to devise tests for screening and early detection that will help to reduce deaths from breast cancer. By studying patients from various ethnic and religious groups, they also hope to discover whether genetic factors are responsible for the differing prevalence of breast cancer among various communities in India.
Infections: The Microbiology department is carrying out research to probe the pattern of hospital infections and their response to antibiotics, concentrating on the drug resistance level of a common hospital pathogen, Staphyloccus aureus. The goal is to identify the
most effective antibiotics for controlling hospital acquired infections. Among community- acquired infections, tuberculosis is by far the most lethal. To expedite the diagnosis of TB, the Molecular Medicine Laboratory has developed an advanced technique known as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) which gives accurate answers within two days. As the only centre in Mumbai offering PCR diagnosis of TB, the hospital receives TB samples from various institutions.
There are 150 beds along with 24 for the underprivileged. Their staff sums up to 900 with the ratio of nurses to patients cming to 1:4, which is higher than the standard of 1:5.
There is a Central Report Center, which gives all the medical reports regarding a treatment of any patient at altogether instead of the patient having to visit several locations for various reports.
Since their ambulance service is outsourced from three to four different areas in the city, it increases productivity as it is more accessible and convenient for the patients.
There is constant improvement in nursing as well as personalized care.
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NNOVATION:Hospitals will soon go hi-tech, not so much in terms of sophisticated medical equipment, but in that a patient’s kith and kin can virtually visit him/her from any part of the world and the patient too can communicate with them and relieve their undue anxiety.
Bangalore has emerged as a pioneer in the design of an interactive website used in making virtual visits to hospitals, thus introducing a human element hitherto, unthought of. This breakthrough in the usage of information technology for patients was achieved by the Bangalore based ‘Think Ahead Incorporated’, in designing he website for a hospital.
The primary advantage of this technology is the mitigation of undue anxiety of relatives particularly, sons and daughters, children of patients who are settled abroad – who cannot be at the bedside of the patient undergoing treatment for a heart ailment or a major surgery. The ‘Virtual Family Visit’ allows relatives to see real time images of patients through audio – visual files which can be downloaded on their computer by entering the hospital website through the Internet. These files of the patient are shot by the hospital using a webcam to show the convalescing patient and his message for his family members. The files are then uploaded in the hospital website. The family members can also communicate with the patient by way of sending online get well card to patients. Besides, they can also get reports of the patient’ condition from the doctor in-charge, if the relatives so desire.
Wockhardt Hospital, where the virtual family visit is in use, the relatives are physically able to see their near and dear ones recuperating from the treatment which avoid emotional trauma. This facility in hospitals is particularly useful when a relative is unable to rush to the hospital to be physically present due to various reasons. Besides,
the patient himself is to be on the road to faster recovery when he communicates with his loved ones.
The use of web technology for virtual hospital visit is said to be the first of its kind in the world. The claim may be true considering that family bonds in the country are very strong and even extends to close relatives. It may also be one of the reasons why such a facility had not been thought of in other parts of the world. Besides, scaled – down joint families are still prevalent where this technology would come in handy. The success of this facility is revealed by the fact that there were as many as 8,000 hits within two months after its introduction some time in May, 2000.