National Medical Commission asks medical colleges to set up patient safety committees

The National Medical Commission (NMC) has asked all medical colleges and medical institutions across the country to constitute patient safety committees/cells and designate nodal officers to strengthen patient safety practices and reduce avoidable harm in healthcare settings.

In a recent communication to the heads of medical institutions, NMC has asked institutions to share the composition and details of their patient safety committees, along with the particulars of the designated patient safety nodal officer, with the National Patient Safety Secretariat (NPSS) at the Directorate-General of Health Services (DGHS).

As per the direction, the proposed committee is to be chaired by the director, head of the institution or medical superintendent, with representation from relevant specialties and patient safety domains.

Patient safety framework

According to the NMC, the patient safety framework covers 11 domains,  including medication and surgical safety, blood and medical device safety, laboratory and diagnostic safety, and infection prevention and control. Other areas include patient and family engagement, vaccine and injection safety, operational research in patient safety, facility safety covering biomedical waste management, fire safety, structural safety and environmental safety, along with safety in AYUSH services.

The Commission notes that the move places responsibility on medical institutions to establish an institutional mechanism for monitoring safety practices rather than treating patient safety as an isolated clinical responsibility.

According to the latest order, institutions should comply with the directions and communicate the required details to the NPSS.