Mumbai: Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai, has become the first super-speciality hospital in South Asia to receive the Joint Commission International (JCI) accreditation. With this, Wockhardt Hospitals is one of the 71 hospitals worldwid e, which have passed JCI''s clinical quality standards. JCI is the international arm of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organisations, which evaluates quality standards of US hospitals.

"The accreditation process requires a hospital to comply with almost 1,300 measurable standards. Wockhardt is the only HMI-associate outside the US to win this recognition," says Andrew Jeon, chief operating officer of Harvard Medical International (HMI), Wockhardt''s partner in the hospitals venture.

JCI standards and evaluation methods are developed by healthcare experts from around the world and tested in various countries. The provide a framework for risk reduction and creating a culture of patient safety. JCI assesses the quality of patient care from the time a patient enters a facility to discharge, and utilises the data to plan and implement changes that create optimal care. The JCI accreditation for Wockhardt Hospitals was precedd by a rigorous onsite evaluation of, Mumbai by an international surveyor team of healthcare experts in August this year.

"Clinical excellence has been Wockhardt Hospitals'' passion and preoccupation all along," said Habil Khorakiwala, Wockhardt Hospitals chairman. "We have always pursued what is best for the patient. We have been able to attract world class doctors who share this vision, helping us set up new benchmarks in clinical care. The JCI accreditation is a recognition of our commitment to clinical excellence," he said.

Wockhardt Hospitals vice president Vishal Bali said with this accredition Wockhardt Hospitals have now now joined the ranks of well-known Harvard affiliated hospitals like Massachusetts General, Brigham & Women and Joslin Diabetes Center.

Wockhardt Hospital and Heart Institute (WHHI), Bangalore, has achieved global recognition as a pioneer in innovative cardiac surgery techniques to help patients who are often termed inoperable and is the first hospital in Australasia region to perform minimally invasive beating heart coronary artery bypass surgery. And is also. It is India''s first heart hospital to achieve ISO 9002 certification.