Mumbai: A dedicated Central Sterile Supply Department (CSSD) will soon open at Cama Hospital in south Mumbai to reduce hospital-acquired infection (HAI) rates. HAIs are infections caused by pathogens that patients acquire during the course of hospital admission.Dr Tushar Palve, medical superintendent of Cama Hospital, said approximately 1% of patients developed a post-surgical infection. “As a dedicated maternity and paediatric hospital, this is commonly observed after caesarean deliveries.”He added that the risk is particularly critical for preterm neonates in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. “These infants are severely immunocompromised and require a highly sterile environment.”Previous sterilisation protocols for medical devices and surgical instruments at the hospital carried a higher risk of procedural lapses. “We relied on an autoclave for steam sterilisation to eliminate bacteria and fungi, but the system was limited. The risk of cross-contamination and spillover infection was higher,” Dr Palve said.A dedicated CSSD ensures a controlled, end-to-end process where sterility is maintained through every stage, from decontamination to storage and distribution. The department, established at a cost of over Rs 2 crore, took one year to be ready for operations.While its primary function is to serve Cama Hospital, the unit has the potential to be extended as a centralised hub for supplying sterile medical materials to smaller nearby hospitals and maternity homes.In India, comprehensive data on HAIs remains scarce. Past studies from 12 ICUs across seven Indian hospitals reported an HAI prevalence rate of 4.4%. HAI rates in public hospitals are believed to be significantly higher.
