Mandatory training for staff to make hospitals patient-friendly

The staff in public hospitals in the State will undergo mandatory training in communication skills and people management so that hospitals become more patient-friendly and welcoming.

Health Minister K. Muraleedharan said that training will be given to all staff except doctors, from taluk hospitals to medical colleges. The Minister said that he has instructed the Principal Secretary (Health) to take up the matter and follow it through.

He clarified that the decision to make soft skills training mandatory for hospital employees was taken in the backdrop of innumerable complaints from patients and visitors regarding poor behaviour by hospital staff, communication lapses, and unsatisfactory interactions with the public.

The training will cover all employees in government medical college hospitals, district hospitals, general hospitals, women and children hospitals and taluk hospitals.

To train the employees in medical colleges, four officials will be identified from each government medical college in every district and given special training to be trainers. This will be conducted through the Apex Trauma and Emergency Learning Centre.

The master trainers who complete this training will then provide institution-level training at their respective medical colleges.

The State Institute of Health and Family Welfare will be responsible for giving training to selected officials from the district, general, taluk and other public hospitals under the DHS. These master trainers will organise training programmes at both the district and institutional levels.

It has been proposed that the 10-day training programme be conducted in batches of 10 so that the functioning of hospitals are not affected. Mr. Muraleedharan has directed that all employees complete the training in a space of two months.

Special training will be given to security personnel in hospitals, who are the first point of contact for patients and visitors. All security personnel, including those working on temporary or contract-basis, will have to undergo the training.