title: Role of water quality assessments in hospital infection control: experience from a new oncology center in eastern India.
abstract: Water quality assessment and timely intervention are essential for health. Microbiology, total dissolved solids (TDS) and free residual chlorine were measured for water quality maintenance in an oncology center in India. Impact of these interventions over a period of 22 months has been demonstrated with four cardinal events. Pseudomonas in hospital water was controlled by adequate chlorination, whereas high TDS in the central sterile supply department water was corrected by the installation of electro-deionization plant. Contaminated bottled water was replaced using quality controlled hospital supply. Timely detection and correction of water-related issues, including reverse osmosis plant was possible through multi-faceted approach to water quality.
authors.forename: Ramkrishna
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bhalchandra
authors.forename: Mammen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chandy
authors.forename: Venkata Raman
authors.initials: VR
authors.lastname: Ramanan
authors.forename: Aseem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: Jeeva Ratnam
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Soundaranayagam
authors.forename: Subrata
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garai
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Tata Medical Center, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
authors.forename: Sanjay
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bhattacharya
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002713:Chlorine / Q000032:analysis; D003428:Cross Infection / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006761:Hospitals; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D017053:Infection Control / Q000379:methods*; D011549:Pseudomonas / Q000302:isolation & purification; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry; D014871:Water Microbiology; D060753:Water Quality
chemical_list: D014867:Water; D002713:Chlorine