20-05-2025
Punjab to appoint facility managers in hospitals to ease burden on medical staff
Chandigarh: In a significant move to streamline hospital operations and reduce the administrative burden on overstretched medical staff, the Punjab govt has announced the deployment of facility managers in all district hospitals.
The initiative aims to enhance the quality of non-clinical services and ensure more efficient utilisation of hospital infrastructure.
Currently, the responsibility of managing hospital operations falls largely on doctors, whose numbers are already limited. This not only places undue pressure on medical personnel but also compromises the efficiency of essential non-clinical services. The govt hopes this administrative reform will allow doctors to focus more on clinical responsibilities while improving service delivery and accountability in the state's public health facilities.
The newly appointed facility managers will be tasked with overseeing hospital logistics, maintenance of equipment, and the overall upkeep of the premises — including sanitation, availability of clean drinking water, functional toilets, and hygienic surroundings. They will also be responsible for ensuring that services such as diet, security, and laundry — often outsourced — are delivered to expected standards.
by Taboola
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Key responsibilities include ensuring implementation of the National Quality Assurance Programme (NQAP), conducting daily rounds of hospital departments and monitoring the functioning of equipment and ambulances, facilitating meetings of Rogi Kalyan Samitis, including preparation of agendas and documentation, monitoring compliance with regulatory norms such as biomedical waste (BMW) management, blood bank licensing, and AERB regulations, supporting digital initiatives like e-Sushrut and e-Aushadhi, and enhancing hospital MIS through data collection and KPI analysis.
Facility managers will also be expected to conduct patient satisfaction surveys, time-motion studies, and exit interviews to maintain service quality. In addition, they will help coordinate grievance redressal mechanisms and assist patients in accessing benefits under schemes such as the Ayushman Bharat Mukhya Mantri Sehat Bima Yojana.
Each manager will operate under the supervision of the medical superintendent or senior medical officer of the district hospital. These positions will be outsourced through an agency identified by the
Punjab Health Systems Corporation
(PHSC), with a fixed remuneration of Rs 30,000 per month and other statutory charges.
"This initiative is worth trying, as it has the potential to enhance the functioning of district hospitals, provided the facility manager operates entirely under the authority and supervision of the senior medical officers (SMOs)," said Dr Akhil Sarin, president of the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association (PCMSA).
"It is crucial that the SMOs retain full control over appointments and dismissals. However, for this move to be truly effective, it must be accompanied by the recruitment of adequate staff to address existing shortages and ensure the smooth and holistic functioning of district hospitals," Dr Sarin added.
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