The Kerala Health Department has issued a comprehensive surgical safety protocol aimed at preventing errors during procedures.
The guidelines come in the wake of some alleged lapses reported at state-run hospitals that have sparked political controversy recently.
According to an order dated April 15, the new guidelines mandate strict pre-operative verification, patient identification and enhanced documentation to ensure patient safety in all healthcare institutions in the state.
As part of the protocol, patients should be provided with bracelets containing details of the surgery, and the designated surgical site should be marked in advance to avoid incorrect procedures at the site.
Phone calls and non-essential communications within operating rooms (OTs) were restricted to minimize distractions.
According to the guidelines, doctors and nurses are required to complete patient details, including IP number and case records, before surgery.
The pre-operative checklist must be completed and signed by the ward doctor and charge nurse, and verified by the operating room nursing officer before the patient is transferred to the operating room.
The protocol also stipulates strict counting and documentation of surgical instruments and materials.
Details should be recorded on a whiteboard before surgery, and numbers should be re-checked after surgery, with reports submitted to relevant authorities.
To emphasize patient participation, the guidelines call for clear communication regarding procedures, risks, and benefits, along with separate consents for anesthesia, surgery, and blood transfusion.
Hospitals have also been directed to strengthen counseling systems and provide regular updates to relatives of patients.
In order to build a “safety culture”, the administration urged organizations to encourage fault reporting without assigning blame, ensure teamwork, and conduct regular training and mock drills for OT staff.
Measures to prevent retained foreign objects, equipment errors, and miscommunication are also included, along with mandatory root cause analysis (RCA) of adverse events within 24 hours.
Officials said the protocol is consistent with global safety standards, including those of the World Health Organization, while incorporating context-specific improvements.
The authorities have directed the Director of Medical Education and the Director of Health Services to ensure immediate implementation of the protocol in all institutions.
The order added that the move is aimed at strengthening Kerala’s healthcare system, which is often seen as a model for other states, by ensuring safe, standardized and accountable surgical practices.
