*Pritha Chatterjee* * * *10-Feb-2012* *New Delhi* : Delhi government’s Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences (IHBAS) has been awarded a quality assurance stamp by the National Accreditation Board of Hospitals (NABH). This makes it the first neurosciences and psychiatry facility to get this recognition. Almost two years since they first began the application procedure, IHBAS has addressed many of the shortcomings pointed out to them during their inspections, NABH authorities said. NABH is the health services arm of the Quality Council of India (QCI). It provides renewable certification to health facilities, which meet certain standards in patient care services. For mental health institutions, standard NABH guidelines for general hospitals have been modified.
Dr Nimesh Desai, Director, IHBAS, said, “It has been a painstaking process to develop separate ethical guidelines for patients who voluntarily seek treatment, those who are brought by families and homeless mentally ill and those sent to us by judicial orders. For those who are not in a state to make sound decisions, NABH guidelines have been modified.” The right of a patient to reject treatment, sharing patients’ records and the options available to patients to chose treatment modalities, have been changed for mental health institutions. Requirements like a central sterilisation unit—mandatory for NABH accredited hospitals to sterilise equipment and instruments— have been omitted considering the limited use of instruments in such units. The autonomous institute under the Delhi government has followed the example of two other mental health institutions — at Vadodara and Ahmedabad — that provide dedicated psychiatry services. These institutions were accredited by the NABH in November last year. According to authorities, legal requirements, like the mandatory clearance from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for running radiological diagnostics, and licences for using certain narcotic drugs, which were not available with IHBAS earlier, have been procured. Quality standards for services essential to psychiatric set-ups— like long-term rehabilitation of patients, psychiatry ICU and psychiatry emergency —have been added to the NABH guidelines for mental health institutions. For neurosurgery and neurology departments, existing guidelines have been incorporated. Delhi Health Minister Dr A K Walia said, “There has been a conscious change in management of psychiatric patients from custodial to rehabilitation based treatment. IHBAS has tried to address these needs while ensuring the highest quality standards.” Dr Zainab Zaidi, Assistant Director, NABH, said after 18 months, authorities will conduct another follow up inspection at the institute. http://www.indianexpress.com/news/quality-assurance-stamp-for-delhis-human-behaviour-institute/910342/0 -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Mental Health Advocacy (News 'N Views) India" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/MhaNewsViewsIndia?hl=en ------------- Affiliated Groups : MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY INDIA [email protected] Discussions on mental health law / policy / plan monitoring / human rights etc [email protected] India-specific news and views related to mental health [email protected] Information and support to carers of people with mental health issues [email protected] Mutual support and sharing of experiential knowledge, skills and social learning amongst peers
