New Civil Hospital in Surat to become more people friendly

Patients coming to New Civil Hospital (NCH) will soon get a taste of facilities that private hospitals offer. The hospital administration has decided to implement a 14-point programme called SOP (Special Operative Procedures) in comings days which will ensure that patients get better treatment, quickly and by people-friendly staff.

Always criticised for its attitude towards patients, NCH is all set for a makeover. SOP was suggested by a committee formed to investigate into incidents where babies were delivered outside the hospital campus.

The changes include:

• Increasing timings for registration of new cases
• Recruiting additional doctors to tackle staff crunch
• Developing a special clinic for critical diseases
• Providing stretchers and wheel-chairs at all wards
• Creating a help desk to guide patients
• Supplying some of the patients' needs free of cost
• Appointment of volunteers to assist patients who are alone
• Upgrading casualty ward
• Increasing staff at all wards
• Maintaining a database of patients visiting the hospital
• Appointing a PRO
• Conducting a study to assess satisfaction level of patients

The council of the medical college approved implementation of SOP on Wednesday. "We are keen to increase facilities so that patients get hassle-free quality treatment. This is our attempt to make the hospital more patient friendly. While the recruitment process will take time, other suggestions will be implemented immediately," said Mahesh Wadhel, superintendent of NCH.