Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka

4th ‘T’ Block, Jayanagar, Bangalore – 560041

Application for Approval of Project Work

Project Proposal

1. / Name of the Candidate and Address / DR. AMLAN JYOTI NATH
PADMASHREE COLLEGE OF HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION
#23,GURUKRUPA LAYOUT
80 FT ROAD,NAGARBHAVI
BANGALORE-72
2 / Name of the Institute / PADMASHREE COLLEGE OF HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION
3 / Course of Study and Subject / MASTERS IN HOSPITAL ADMINISTRATION
4 / Date of Admission to Course / 6-10-2011
5 / TITLE OF THE TOPIC:-
“A STUDY ON PHYSICAL FACILITIES AND INFECTION CONTROL MEASURES TAKEN IN A DIETARY DEPARTMENT IN A SELECTED HOSPITAL."
6 / DEFINITION AND SCOPE OF STUDY:-
A hospital is a service industry. The service for the customer (patients) in a hospital is to be individualized (customerization) to satisfy the individual patients, unlike the case of industries. The hospital administration should be highly tactful and vigilant in making all the patients and their friends or relatives satisfied. A satisfied customer is the best marketing propaganda agent, especially for the hospital, and reverse, is also very true. A satisfied customer is the key to success of any hospital. The satisfaction of patients depends on the hygienic food from the dietary department of the hospital.
Food has been one of the basic needs of the human beings; it is also considered both cause and cure of disease. All the patients receive food from single kitchen in the hospital, hence if the hygiene of the kitchen is not maintained; it can lead to outbreak of infection involving the whole hospital.
Infection from contaminated food is particularly hazardous in debilitated or elderly people, and cause severe illness or even death. It is also important to prevent food- borne infection among the staff; a subsequent transfer to patients would have similar unfortunate results. All food handlers should be given training in personal and kitchen hygiene both at the time of employment and at intervals thereafter.
The food is one of the source through which the infection can be transmitted to the patients if the quality of the food is not maintained. Hence it is the duty of the hospital administrator to see that proper physical facilities with respect to infection control are available and infection control measures are taken in the dietary department.
7 / Objectives of the study:-
1.  To study the physical facilities of a dietary department with respect to infection control.
2.  To assess the infection control measures taken in dietary department.
8 / Research Methodology:-
The research approach in the study will be descriptive method. Primary data is collected by personal observation and by interviewing the In charge and staff of the dietary department. Secondary data is collected by going through the records maintained in the dietary department.
9 / Review of literature:-
Dietary services in a hospital are an important component of patient care as any other ancillary service. In our country, by and large, hospital food service has not being given due importance it actually merits. Kitchens of our district and other hospitals merit immediate attention because of gross neglect. They not only lack adequate facilities of washing, storing and cooking etc, but are also very poorly staffed and supervised.1
Procedure for maintaining infection control measures in dietary department:
1.  Disposable dishes and eating utensils are not generally necessary for patients on isolation, may be costly and may be inconvenient and stigmatizing to the patient on prolonged isolation.
*Disposable dishes and eating utensils are required for patients undergoing radiation therapy and these patient rooms are posted.
2.  Dietary personnel will distribute trays to all patients except to those on isolation.
3.  Upon delivering trays to a patient on isolation precautions, dietary staff will notify nursing staff that the patient’s tray has arrived.
4.  Any dietary tray that is visibly contaminated with body substances (i.e. blood, respiratory secretions) should be wiped clean with a disinfectant by a gloved nurse or aide and placed in the dirty tray cart.
5.  Any non-food related substance (i.e. needles, syringes, dentures) must be removed from the tray by nursing personnel before placing in the dirty tray cart. The dietary employee must report the incident to their supervisor to be recorded on a log housed in the dietary department.
6.  Dietary Personnel are to follow Dietary Protocol for items found on tray upon returning to the department.
7.  Food service personnel who handle dishes, utensils, and trays which are returned to the dietary department should wear non-latex gloves and wash their hands before handling clean dishes or food.2
Catering Services
Bulk services from heated food trolleys are a simple system and can give good meals with this system, the plates and cutlery have in the past, generally been stored and washed up in the ward services. Now, however most new hospitals have centralized facilities for washing crockery. Each ward receives two trolleys from the central kitchen, one containing the food, and the other containing clean plates and eating utensils. At the conclusion of the meal, both trolleys return to the central kitchen, and the crockery and cutlery are washed up and stored there.
Central washing-up has much to recommend it. An efficient mechanical washing machine using steam sterilizes the crockery and cutlery as it washes them; and this is, of course, important in the hospital.3
Good catering practice:
The catering staff with advice from the infection control team should prepare policy for safe handling and processing of food the decisions should be made for each type of food with regard to the minimum internal temperature required, the maximum time allowed at room temperature after cooking. There should be a strict policy on the maximum time for which uncooked food like sandwiches, salads etc. are kept at room temperature or in chilled storage before they are discarded.4
Planning for the department has to consider various factors such as, number of beds/type of specialties, number of meals and type of food to be served per day, catering for the patients only or for staff/visitors also, centralized/decentralized service and the extent of mechanization. The finish of floors and walls has to be such as would promote easy cleaning and hygienic maintenance.
Location of the dietary department should be on the ground floor near the service lift and with easy access to the external traffic route.5
For functional convenience of rooms constituting the kitchen unit should be grouped, convenient both for internal working and external service. For the best performance, the facilities could be placed in the following orders:-
A) Receipt and storage of food and supplies.
B) Normal and special diet kitchens which have preparation and cooking areas.
C) Pantry and dispatch area6
LIST OF REFERENCE:-
1. Dr. AG Chandorkar, Hospital administration and planning, 2004,pp - 82
2. http://nursing.uchc.edu/infection_control/manual/docs/ICM%202.11.pdf (accessed on date: 04/06/11)
3. Llewellyn-Davies R., Macaulay H.M.C., Hospital palming and administration, Jaypee Brothers Medical Publisher (p) Ltd., New Delhi, pp - 187.
4. Nita Patwardhan, Hospital-Associated infections: Epidemiology, prevention control, pp- 226
5. Joshi SK, Quality Management in hospitals, 2009 1st Edition, Jaypee brother medical publishers(P) Ltd. PP188.
6. Sarma R K, Sarma Yashpal, Hand Book on Hospital Administration, 2003, Durga Printers, Jammu. PP – 292.
11. Signature of the Candidate :
12. Remarks of the Project Supervisor :
13. Name and Designation of : MS. SUPREETHA CASTELINO
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
Padmashree College of
Hospital Administration
Supervisor :
Signature :
Co – Supervisor (If any) :
14. Signature :
Name and designation of the Principal: Ms. RESHMA LOBO, MHA,
Principal,
Padmashree College of
Hospital Administration
Remarks of the Principal:
Signature: