PRIME Program recognises 11 Indian hospitals for advancing patient safety

The ‘Preventing Risks of Infections and Medication Errors in IV Therapy’ (PRIME) Program, developed by Joint Commission International (JCI) and sponsored by BD, has concluded its recognition event for 11 leading hospitals across India. The program is aimed at improving patient and healthcare worker safety by addressing infection risks and medication errors in healthcare settings.

Since its launch in 2019, PRIME has been implemented in 30 hospitals in India. Over the course of six months, participating hospitals engage in a structured program that includes goal setting, regular progress reviews, expert tele-consultations, and scientific updates through webinars. Hospitals that successfully complete the program are awarded PRIME certification, a Gold Standard benchmark for safety. The 2024 recognition event marks the first in-person certification since the program’s inception.

Dr Jeannell Mansur, Principal Consultant for Medication Management and Safety at JCI, commented on the organisation’s partnership with BD. She said, “JCI is proud to have contributed to the advancement of patient safety through the development and continued mentoring support of the PRIME program, which is a unique training program focusing on fundamental skills relating to medication preparation, medication administration, and vascular access management.”

She also highlighted the importance of patient safety with the JCI’s 8th Edition Standards Update and its relevance to the PRIME Program. John Yoon, Managing Director, Asia Pacific at JCI, congratulated the PRIME leaders on their recognition.

Atul Grover, Managing Director of BD, India/South Asia, speaking at the event, said, “Aligned with our purpose of advancing the world of health, BD has been at the forefront of implementing safe and innovative technologies and training healthcare professionals continuously towards best practices. We are proud to partner with JCI for the PRIME program, which epitomises our commitment towards enabling hospitals to improve clinical outcomes and deliver quality patient care and safety.”

The 11 hospitals recognised for completing the PRIME program include Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurgaon; Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, New Delhi; Rukmani Birla Hospital, Jaipur; St. John’s Medical College Hospital, Bengaluru; B M Birla Heart Research Centre, Kolkata; Father Muller Hospital, Mangalore; Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Hyderabad; Noble Hospital, Pune; Ruby Hall Clinic, Pune; Sahyadri Hospital, Pune; and Sri Ramachandra Medical College and Hospital, Chennai.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, JCI and BD have continued to support healthcare professionals and hospital management with the PRIME program, both virtually and in-person, resulting in improved practices and patient outcomes.