NMC mandates patient safety cells

NMC mandates patient safety cells

Srinagar, Oct 16: The National Medical Commission (NMC) has directed all medical colleges and medical institutions across the country to constitute Patient Safety Committees or Cells and designate nodal officers to strengthen patient safety practices, improve healthcare quality and reduce preventable harm to patients. In a public notice, the NMC asked Heads of Medical Colleges and Medical Institutions to appoint a Patient Safety Nodal Officer for their respective medical college and hospital. The institutions have also been asked to share the composition and details of the committees, along with the designated officers&039; particulars, with the National Patient Safety Secretariat (NPSS). The directive follows a communication from the Additional Director General of Health Services in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, dated May 8, 2026, regarding the strengthening of patient safety practices in medical colleges and institutions across the country. The initiative aims to institutionalise culture of patient safety, ensuring adherence to appropriate protocols and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), improving health outcomes, reducing avoidable treatment-related costs, enhance patient satisfaction and strengthening public trust. According to the communication from the Directorate General of Health Services, patient safety challenges in India include medication errors, hospital-acquired infections, diagnostic failures, unsafe injections, medical device-related risks and antimicrobial resistance. The framework identifies 11 domains of patient safety that medical institutions are expected to address. These include medication safety, surgical safety, blood transfusion safety, medical device safety, laboratory and diagnostic safety, infection prevention and control, healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance, operational research, patient and family engagement, vaccine and injection safety, facility safety, and safety in AYUSH systems. The NMC said the Patient Safety Cell will function as an institutional mechanism to coordinate and monitor safety-related activities across clinical, diagnostic, administrative and support services. It is also expected to strengthen coordination among existing committees and departments to avoid duplication of efforts and ensure a more integrated approach to patient safety. It said that the committee should be constituted formally while Head of the Institution, Medical Superintendent or Director will serve as its chairperson, while the designated Patient Safety Nodal Officer will act as the member secretary. The committee will also include a nursing representative, a quality manager or National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) coordinator, and other members considered necessary by the institution. Faculty representatives or domain leads from relevant specialties will be nominated according to the institution&039;s requirements and availability. The committee&039;s responsibilities will include facilitating the implementation of the National Patient Safety Action Plan 2030, reviewing patient safety incidents and near misses, identifying gaps in existing systems and recommending corrective and preventive measures. It will also facilitate root cause analysis of incidents wherever required, promote safety audits and assessments, and organise training and awareness programmes for healthcare professionals. The NMC said the Patient Safety Cells will be required to meet periodically, on a monthly or quarterly basis, as decided by the institution. Emergency meetings may be convened in the event of serious patient safety incidents. The communication said institutions will also be expected to submit periodic reports, either monthly or quarterly, to their respective heads and the NPSS. These reports should include summaries of patient safety incidents, findings of root cause analyses, corrective and preventive actions, action-taken reports and key patient safety indicators. The framework further provides for coordination between the Patient Safety Cell and existing institutional mechanisms dealing with infection prevention, medication safety, blood transfusion, biomedical equipment and quality assurance. The performance of the Patient Safety Cell may be reviewed periodically by the head of the institution and the National Patient Safety Secretariat, with feedback incorporated to strengthen patient safety systems. The NMC has asked all medical colleges and institutions to communicate the details and composition of their Patient Safety Committees or Cells, along with the particulars of their designated nodal officers, to the National Patient Safety Secretariat at secretariatpatientsafety@gmail.com.