ISO Certification - Is IT A Farce ?

Debi Mukherjee (India, 08/10/1973)

Now a days it is a common phenomenon to come across certification of service providers like schools, hospitals, railways by an international agency called International Standards Organization commonly abbreviated as ISO. A lot of publicity gimmicks are made boasting of award of such certification by those receiving it. The question arises as to whether any periodical check is exercised on quality of such ISO certified service providers. According to my personal experience the answer is in the negative.

I had to take admissions twice in a private ward of Ayushman Hospital in Bhopal, MP; within a span of two years. The hospital has been claimed to be certified by ISO.

The services provided by the hospital during my first admission were very good. The room and the adjoining corridors were maintained scrupulously cleaned. Sanitation facilities were excellent. There were arrangements for frequent cleaning of the rooms and bathrooms by removal of dusts followed by wet mopping with a disinfectant. The quality of services seemed to be worth the certification.

But my recent stay in the hospital led to topsy-turvy of my earlier impression. I had to get admission in the afternoon. The wash basin was blocked with empty sachets of Shampoo. The entire bathroom was stinking. It was learnt from the hospital staff that the sweepers would come only in the morning for cleaning. Hence we would have no other alternative but to adjust with the stinks for the entire night.

Along with the stinks mosquitoes also started troubling us. The hospital did not have the arrangement for providing mosquito-fighting coil/tablets. On the top of that a few staff of the hospitals started gossiping loudly disturbing the sleep of the patients. We had to intervene a number of times to make them lower their voice.

In the morning we had to chase the staff repeatedly to call the sweepers. The room was cleaned but disinfectant was not available, as the same was with the Store-in-Charge who happened to come late that day. We had to bear the foul smell emanating from the bathroom till her arrival.

If this is the condition of the private room one can imagine the plight of the general ward !

Another instance of poor quality of service is “ISO certified train namely Habibganj-Nizamuddin Bhopal Express”. This is boasted as the pride of Indian Railway! The first train in India running between Habibganj to Hazarat Nizamuddin to be certified by ISO for its proper maintenance and services provided to the passengers! Day by day its services have been deteriorating. Rush of unauthorised passengers is often seen in the reserved sleeper compartments till late at night. Pantry car staffs keep on calling the passengers for supplying snacks and coffee well past midnight thus hampering sleep of other passengers. Same is the case in AC 2 tier. Funniest part is though the passengers here are served coffee late at night, left over of which may also be available in the morning; one can hardly get a cup of tea in the morning. One has no other alternative but to remain without a cup of tea till 8 or 8-30 AM in the morning (arrival time of the train in the destination).

Is there any Regulatory Authority for such Certification ??

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