Mumbai, Jan 10: More than 30 staff members, including doctors, nurses and ward boys of M.T. Agarwal Hospital in Mulund, attended a soft skills training programme on Friday aimed at improving communication with patients.
Training organised with NGO support
The hospital, which was renovated and reopened last month just ahead of the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct for the civic elections, organised the training in collaboration with NGO Youth on the Move. The NGO comprises students from SIES College, who also gained insights into assisting patients more effectively.
Challenges faced by patients
Government- and civic-run hospitals are often accused of poor behaviour towards patients. A large number of patients visiting civic hospitals belong to underprivileged sections and frequently face difficulties, including locating various departments within hospital premises.
Focus on patient communication
Dr Rajusingh Rathod, Chief Medical Officer of M.T. Agarwal Hospital, said the training focused on “communication with patients” and “maintaining good relationships with patients”.
Future training planned
“The objective is to ensure that patients do not feel isolated and receive accurate information and guidance from hospital staff. Apart from doctors, ward boys and nurses were also trained,” Dr Rathod said. He added that more such training programmes would be conducted in the future.
“Since all staff cannot be trained at once as it would affect hospital functioning, the programmes will be conducted in small batches,” he said.
Hospital capacity and operations
The hospital was opened just hours before the announcement of the BMC elections, and currently only 110 beds are operational. The total capacity of 470 beds will be rolled out in phases.
Staff feedback
A staff member who attended the programme said the training provided valuable insights on assisting patients effectively. “The training aimed to empower staff to provide better support to patients,” said a doctor from the hospital.
Plans for specialised sessions
Dr Rathod further informed that a psychiatrist would be invited for the next training session. “The purpose is to ensure that every staff member helps patients receive treatment without facing difficulties,” he said.
Booklet for staff guidance
The hospital also plans to publish a booklet for staff members. “Since the building is new and not all staff are aware of every department’s location, the booklet will provide details such as department locations and floor numbers. This will help staff guide patients effectively,” Dr Rathod said. The booklet will be available in both hard copy and soft copy formats.
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Programme conducted under senior guidance
The training was conducted under the guidance of CMO Dr Rajusingh Rathod, Senior Medical Officer Dr Khedekar, and CDO Pratik Rathod.
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