The Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, has been accredited by the Joint Commission International (JCI) of US. Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, is the third in the chain of Apollo group of Hospitals to be accredited by JCI, besides Delhi and Chennai and fourth in the country. Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai too has been JCI certified.

Sangeeta Reddy, managing director, Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, told Pharmabiz that Apollo will look into the possibility of getting a joint JCI accreditation for its hospitals based in Ahmedabad, Kolkata and Sri Lanka. It is holding negotiations with JCI officials at present, she disclosed.

Global experts in healthcare from JCI audited the hospital for 1033 standards focusing on patient safety, quality improvement, infection control, staff qualification and training, care of patients and other critical areas and certified that the hospital met all the 1033 standards required for JCI accreditation.

The process of accreditation and post-accreditation surveillance ensure continuous focus on patient safety and quality improvement. This will have a positive impact on patient care. The accreditation will contribute in the process of enhancing confidence in the Indian healthcare system on the international front and will help in bringing in more international patients. The accreditation process usually takes about 6-12 months varying from case to case, she added.

Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad, is a 550-bed tertiary care centre. It has over 50 medical and surgical disciplines. It handles over one-lakh patients every year.