PURPOSE: The purpose of this Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is to establish a structured and effective grievance handling mechanism in ABVIMS &Dr. RML Hospital to address and resolve complaints from patients, their families, and hospital staff in a timely and satisfactory manner.
SCOPE: This SOP applies to all departments, staff, patients, and their families within the hospital.
DEFINITION
- Grievance: Any complaint expressing dissatisfaction with any aspect of the operations, activities or behaviour of public health systems or its providers, regardless of whether remedial action is requested.
- Complainant: The person who lodges a Grievance can be raised by any patients, their families, or hospital staff.
- Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC): A designated group responsible for reviewing and resolving grievances.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Grievance Redressal Committee (GRC): Responsible for overseeing the grievance handling process, ensuring timely resolution, and maintaining records.
- Department Heads: Responsible for addressing grievances related to their respective departments and implementing corrective actions.
- Grievance Officer: Appointed member of the GHC responsible for receiving, documenting, and initially assessing grievances.
PROCEDURE:
- Modes of Submission:
- In-person: Grievances related to treatment facilities, such as the availability of staff, services, drugs, diagnostics, entitlements, etc., can be submitted in the complaint box available near the Departmental Head of Department (HOD/Department In-charge) room.
- Offline mode: Complainants can submit grievances at the 1. Hospital Diary Section located near Blood Collection Centre at entry gate no. 3.
- Online: Through the Delhi Government Portal, PM Portal, PG Portal and Hospital’s official website (https://rmlh.nic.in/).
Procedure for Identification and segregation of the complaints:
- Grievance Received through online as well as in offline mode from diary and dispatch section as well as from other section of the hospital are checked, segregated and put-up in E-office for further action by dealing hand designated at grievance Redressal desk.
- GR help desk and GR Call centre will assess the grievance to determine its nature and urgency. i.e. if require immediate support/ of emergency nature, will communicate immediately to the concerned authority to resolve it in real time.
- The first challenge for any grievance Redressal system would be to understand the nature of complaints. It is important to identify and segregate complaints that are directed at systemic issues and among those that are related to denial of care in some way such as; timely services, quality of care, length of stay, attitude of the service provider and the cost of care etc.
- Category wise grievances which could be reported.
| Type of Grievance\Complaint | Reason |
| Non-availability of Services | Non-availability of staff, equipment, reagents, ward arrangement, ambulance services, operation theatres, pharmacy and blood banks etc. |
| Denial to entitlements\ benefit schemes etc. | Non-availability of drugs, diagnostic test, cash benefits, transport facilities etc. |
| Inadequate Infrastructure | Inadequate\non-availability of basic amenities for patients and their attendants like sitting arrangements, water, toilets, electricity. |
| Poor Quality of Services | Sub-standard care provided by doctors, nurses and support staff - their skill, experience, warmth, responsiveness, communication and courtesy, regular cleanliness and replacement of linen. |
| Sub-standard Clinical Care | The experience of the patient with clinical processes (treatment processes and outcomes of care) in the hospital. |
| Administrative Procedures | Admission process, test reports, discharge process, grievance Redressal. |
| Corruption/bribe | Any staff asking for any monetary/non-monetary benefit. |
- Grievance Received at departmental complaint box:
- Every HOD/Department In-charge will have a complaint box installed out-side his/her office/room.
- Grievance forms submitted in the complaint box near the Departmental Head of Department (HOD/Department In-charge) room are collected daily (on working days) once in a day by the Departmental In-Charge.
- HOD/Department In-charge will access all the complaint received and will resolve within the earliest possible time.
- Categorization of Grievances:
- Subsidiary Level: Grievances that can be resolved at the departmental level without requiring higher-level intervention.
- Sensitive or Complex Issues: Grievances that need the attention of the Grievance Officers due to their sensitive or complex nature.
- For grievances categorized under subsidiary level:
- The Departmental In-Charge takes necessary actions to resolve the issue.
- The complainant is informed about the actions taken and the resolution achieved.
- Resolution of Registered Grievances.
- Grievances related to treatment facilities i.e. availability of staff, services, drugs & diagnostics, entitlements etc. lose its importance for the complainant if not looked into immediately and resolved at the time of generation.
- After registration all the grievances will get pooled in the E-office and get segregated according to nature of the complaints.
- Grievance officer review the Complaint and resolve the grievances earliest possible at his/her level.
- If the grievance is not solved /sensitive in nature, it shall be forwarded by grievance redressal committee after approval from Medical Superintendent.
- Time bound Resolution: Many times, it is not possible to resolve the grievances immediately especially those requiring multiple steps, has incomplete information and involving multiple channels to resolve. These kinds of grievances require in-depth investigation of the matter and interaction with the complainant.
- Procedure for handling staff/Employee grievances:
- The grievant shall report to HOD/Department In-charge about his/her grievance.
- The HOD/Department In-charge shall try to solve the problem at his/her level. If he/she find it difficult to solve the grievance at his/her level or he/she will be forward it to the Grievance Redressal Officer.
- When decided to solve, the process of arriving at a solution as well as the solution /decision offered by the HOD/Department In-charge shall be recorded along with response of the employee “accepted/not accepted” or otherwise by the (grievant)which shall be recorded.
- The HOD/Department In-charge shall file the document in the department. Half yearly report of the same to be submitted to Grievance Redressal Officer, thereafter to be preserved by the Grievance Redressal Officer.
- If the grievance is not solved /not agreed by the grievant at HOD/Department In-charge level then it shall be forwarded by Grievance Redressal Officer. If required it shall further go to grievance committee through Grievance Redressal Officer after taking approval from Medical Superintendent.
- If the grievance is against the HOD/Department In-charge, then it should come through HA-I Complaint cell then to grievance officer and Addl. Medical Superintendent (complaint & grievance).
GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL COMMITTEE:
- Scope:
The sensitive and complicated matter which require collective decision and can’t be solved at the level of grievance officer will be put-up before the complaint & Redressal committee.
- Procedure, periodicity and attendance at meetings:
- The Grievance Committee will meet as and when required. However, if necessary, it may meet more frequently at the instance of the Chairman or at the request of the other members to discuss the various issues received.
- At least three members of the Grievance Committee shall be present in a meeting.
- If a member of the Grievance Committee is connected with the grievance of the aggrieved individual, the concerned member of the Grievance Committee shall not participate in the deliberations regarding that individual's case.
- If the aggrieved person happens to be a member of the Grievance Committee, then he/she shall not participate in the deliberations as a member of the Committee when his/her representation is being considered.
- Terms of reference:
- The Grievance Redressal Committee shall consider all grievances submitted in writing by an individual member of the Centre regarding employment/ association, working conditions and any other alleged injustice done to an employee/ student while discharging his/her duties at the Centre.
- The Grievance Redressal Committee shall study the petition/ application and after looking into the relevant documents discuss with those concerned and submit its recommendations and report to the Director as expeditiously as possible, but in any case within three months of the date of petition/application.
- In case of any difficulties, the Grievance Committee shall have discussion with the Medical Superintendent before a decision is taken.
- The Grievance Redressal Committee may mediate between the complainant and defendant against whom the complaint has been made, if required
- The Director, as far as possible, shall be guided by the advice of the Grievance Redressal Committee unless the recommendations of Committee violate basic rules and norms of the Centre.
- Any dead-lock shall be resolved by the Director.
- The final settlement of any grievance shall be made within a reasonable period after the recommendations are submitted to the Director by the Grievance Redressal Committee.
Complaint Cell: Room no. 18-A, HA-1 First Floor, Block A, Nursing home Building
Landline no. 01123404308
Officer in charge:: Dr. Pawan Kumar
Addl. MS Dr. R. K. Modi