Art of Surgery boss details process
DR REAUD Gafoor, managing director of the New Kingstonbased Art of Surgery – one of the four registered hospitals on the gazetted list – took The Sunday Gleaner through the process of registering a private medical facility.
He said that the process begins with the entity submitting an application for registration to the Ministry of Health and Wellness.
Once the application is received, the applicant is issued with a number of Standards Manuals and Protocols “pertaining to such issues as infection control, operating theatre procedures, disaster preparedness and others”, he said.
“The onus is then on the facility to ensure that its physical premises and practices fall within ministry’s standards, and that it is compliant with the checklist of protocols outlined. This may require upgrading existing infrastructure, operational policies, re-training of clinical staff and administration to facilitate a safe and efficient practice and governance, and the institution of various selfregulatory mechanisms to ensure maintenance of those standards,” Gafoor said.
RIGOROUS INSPECTION
A rigorous inspection is then carried out by a team of assessors from the health ministry’s Standards and Regulation Division.
“The team includes public health and safety officers, technical advisers and medical clinicians. The facility infrastructure in inspected thoroughly, including floor and wall integrity, and conformity to infectioncontrol standards, air-filtering mechanisms, biowaste disposal facilities, dangerous drug storage provisions, electrical and plumbing safety, and many other issues,” Gafoor told The Sunday Gleaner.
“Records are checked to ensure that maintenance protocol for equipment is being followed as well as that clinical guidelines are in place, and backup/emergency protocols identified to ensure patient safety in the event of unforeseen circumstances,” he added. “Any deficits are recorded and documented, and the facility is given a timeline to make necessary amendments. Once compliance can be confirmed, the application for hospital accreditation goes to the Nursing Homes Registration Committee for approval.”
erica.virtue@gleanerjm. com and jovan.johnson@ gleanerjm.com