Kerala enforces WHO-aligned surgical safety norms across hospitals

The article reports that Kerala has issued a WHO-aligned surgical safety protocol to standardize practices across state hospitals and to build a culture of safety, with measures including patient involvement, consent processes, and regular updating of relatives. It notes the directive for immediate implementation across institutions and highlights the focus on preventing retained foreign objects, equipment-related errors, and miscommunication through documentation, counts, and mandatory root cause analysis within 24 hours.

The Kerala Health Department issued a comprehensive surgical safety protocol aimed at preventing procedural errors. The order mandates strict pre-operative verification and patient identification, wristbands with surgery details, and advance marking of the surgical site to avoid wrong-site procedures. It restricts phone calls and non-essential communications inside operation theatres to minimise distractions and requires doctors and nurses to complete patient details, including IP number and case records, before surgery. A pre-operative checklist must be filled and signed by the ward doctor and nurse-in-charge, and verified by the OT nursing officer before shifting the patient to the theatre. The protocol requires strict counting and documentation of instruments and materials, with a whiteboard entry before surgery and post-procedure rechecks, and reports submitted to authorities. It emphasizes patient involvement with clear communication about procedures, risks, and benefits, and separate consents for anaesthesia, surgery, and blood transfusion. Hospitals are instructed to strengthen counselling and provide regular updates to patient relatives, foster a non-blame culture, promote teamwork, and conduct periodic training and mock drills for OT staff. A mandatory root cause analysis of adverse events within 24 hours is required. The protocol aligns with WHO safety standards while incorporating Kerala-specific improvements, and authorities directed immediate implementation across all institutions.