Chandigarh: <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c Nothing can beat the watchful eyes of a healthcare professional when it comes to patient safety. Technology can assist us, but it cannot replace human observation, alertness and clinical judgement at the bedside,\u201d
stated Prof. Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER, while speaking as the Chief Guest at the inaugural session of the Institute\u2019s observance of World Patient Safety Day 2026 at PGIMER today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The inaugural programme, held at the Auditorium of the Advanced Eye Centre, PGIMER, brought together faculty members, residents, students, nursing staff and healthcare professionals from different disciplines. The programme was attended by Prof. Sanjay Jain, Dean (Academics) and Chairperson, Institute Patient Safety Committee; Prof. Vijay K. Goni, Acting Medical Superintendent; and Dr. Mahesh Devnani, Nodal Officer, Patient Safety, Department of Hospital Administration , among others.
Prof. Lal emphasised that the first principle of medicine\u2014do no harm\u2014lies at the heart of patient safety. Cautioning against excessive dependence on technology and gadgets, Director PGIMER said, \u201c If we believe that AI alone is going to promote patient safety, we may be overlooking the most important safeguard\u2014the watchful healthcare professional.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recalling an incident from his internship in 1986\u201387, when a large number of trauma victims were expected at a civil hospital in Punjab, Prof. Lal said a senior surgeon had taught him that \u201c the first casualty during an acute event is logical thinking.\u201d He was assigned to stand outside the emergency department and ensure that incoming victims were directed correctly. \u201c That day I learnt that in patient safety, small things are often the big things,\u201d he said.
Prof. Lal also recalled a 27-year-old trauma patient whose vital parameters appeared relatively reassuring, but whose sweating caught the attention of the senior surgeon. Further exploration revealed a ruptured spleen and the patient recovered. \u201c A normal blood pressure or a reassuring monitor does not always tell the whole story. We must learn to notice those signs,\u201d he said.
Calling for a stronger culture of prevention, Prof. Lal said, \u201cWhat is truly unpredictable may not be in our hands, but what is preventable must be prevented.\u201d He stressed that patient safety extends beyond major clinical interventions to everyday practices including correct prescriptions, patient identification, sterilised linen, safe food, documentation, communication and proper handovers.
\u201c A proper handover is a mandate. Take the resident to the bedside, explain the patient\u2019s problems and ensure that the information is understood. Every member of the healthcare team is part of this ecosystem of care,\u201d Prof. Lal underlined.
\u201c Keep your watchful eyes open in the wards. The strongest layer of patient safety is the alert, responsible and compassionate healthcare professional ,\u201d Prof. Lal said in conclusion.
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Sanjay Jain, Dean (Academics) and Chairperson, Institute Patient Safety Committee said that every patient enters a hospital with the expectation of getting better and healthcare professionals must ensure that treatment does not inadvertently cause additional harm.
\u201c If we cannot always cure, the least we can do is ensure that we do not create another problem or disease. That is at the core of patient safety ,\u201d he said.
Highlighting medication safety, Prof. Jain recalled an instance involving a look-alike, sound-alike medication, where a patient was receiving a different drug from the one intended.
\u201c We must never presume that whatever we are doing is right. We have to keep our eyes and ears open and verify what the patient is actually receiving,\u201d he said.
Prof. Jain emphasised that patient safety is a collective responsibility involving doctors, nurses, technicians, radiologists, support staff and every other person contributing to patient care. \u201c Healthcare has become extremely complex. Patient safety cannot be managed by one group alone,\u201d he said.
Prof. Jain added that the quality of healthcare is reflected not only through sophisticated infrastructure but also through simple indicators such as patient falls, medication errors, correct patient identification and safe blood transfusion practices.
\u201c The purpose of observing Patient Safety Day is to recognise these risks and reduce preventable harm . All of us must work together to provide patients with an environment that is healthier and safer, so that a patient who comes to us goes home with a smile,\u201d Prof. Jain said.
Dr. Mahesh Devnani, Nodal Officer, Patient Safety, said that safe practices must become an integral part of everyday clinical systems. \u201c Standardised processes, effective communication, infection control, medication safety, safe surgery and continuous monitoring are essential for reducing preventable risks and building reliable healthcare systems,\u201d he said.
The technical programme comprised a series of expert sessions addressing critical aspects of patient safety. The session on \u201cMedication Safety and Antimicrobial Resistance\u201d was delivered by Prof. Nusrat Shafiq, Department of Pharmacology highlighting the importance of safe medication practices and responsible antimicrobial use.
This was followed by a session on \u201cSafe Transfusion Practices\u201d by Dr. Hari Krishan Dhawan , Department of Transfusion Medicine focusing on measures to ensure safe and appropriate blood transfusion.
Dr. Mahesh Devnani, Department of Hospital Administration, addressed \u201c Infection Prevention and Control, and Safe Biomedical Waste Management Practices,\u201d emphasising the role of systematic infection-control measures and responsible biomedical waste management in maintaining a safe healthcare environment.
The programme resumed with a session on \u201c Surgical Safety\u201d delivered by Prof. L. Kaman, Department of General Surgery, focusing on measures to minimise risks and ensure safety across the surgical-care pathway.
The programme concluded with a Panel Discussion on the theme of World Patient Safety Day 2026, \u201c Safe Care for Noncommunicable Diseases,\u201d. The discussion focused on patient-safety challenges in the prevention, diagnosis and long-term management of noncommunicable diseases, which require continuous and coordinated care.
The panel was chaired by Prof. Arun Aggarwal, Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, and included Prof. A. N. Aggarwal, Department of Pulmonary Medicine and Prof. Manisha Biswal, Department of Medical Microbiology, with Prof. Shankar Prinja, Department of Community Medicine and School of Public Health, as Moderator.
The programme highlighted that patient safety is a shared responsibility requiring coordinated efforts across clinical, diagnostic, nursing, technical, administrative and support services.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Chandigarh: \u201c Nothing can beat the watchful eyes of a healthcare professional when it comes to patient safety. Technology can assist us, but it cannot replace human observation, alertness and clinical judgement at the bedside,\u201dstated Prof. Vivek Lal, Director, PGIMER, while speaking as the Chief Guest at the inaugural session of the Institute\u2019s observance of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"footnotes":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[87],"tags":[],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n