Policies & Procedures

Central Library Policies and Procedures:

Policy	Library
Function	Daily Functioning Of Library
Status	Recommended
Audience	Students / medical School Staff
Implementation	Librarian/ Vice Principal Academic Head / Supervisors
Issued For	Students and Staff
Date of Review	April 2020
Next Review:	March 2021
Lead Professional	Dean

Aims and Objectives

• To provide a supportive and stimulating environment for medical students and faculty.
• To encourage all medical students to reach their full potential as self-directed and continuous learners anddevelop a professional attitude.
• To foster the excitement of knowing new avenues and vistas through reading and considering it as a recreational activity among all students.
• To consistently support the competency-based curriculum prescribed by the national medical commission by providing access to resources for medical students and faculty.
• To provide all possible electronic digital resources in the form of books and reading material to all students and faculty even when they are away from the library.
• To provide the necessary literature review support to all the researchers in the form of retrieving and providing the necessary publication reprints.
• To train the newly admitted students and faculty members in literature survey and document retrieval.
• To develop productive relationship with other libraries around the globe and be an active partner of the global library networks.

Responsibilities of the Librarian

• To classify and catalogue all the book resources using the OPAC software and to continually update the library accession registers. This includes students text books, research journal resources, and audio visual materials across the subject areas.
• To issue specific scheme books to scholarship recipient students.
• Collaborating with other library staff to plan and implement digital and electronic resources of the library and aligning them with the existing curriculum.
• Ensuring students have round the clock access to the library resources availability for theirassignments and research project.
• Providing a stimulating and enlightening ambience in the library.
• Developing and implementing reading and writing initiatives to motivate and engage students inindependent thinking.
• Establishing, maintain and updating an automated catalogue and organizing thecollection using PACS library management software.
• Documenting, reporting and maintaining records of use of library resources. Facilitating the library awards for those students who utilize the library resources to the maximum.
• Promoting use of the library electronic and digital media center to teachers; students and staff to ensurethat the library is vital and active center of learning.
• To be able to update the journal content to all faculty members.

Regulations and Procedures:

• Silence should be observed in the library
• All students should have ID card while entering into the library
• Student / Staff must obey the library regulations in order to maintaina stimulating environment that is conducive for academics and innovation.
• Undergraduate and postgraduate students are allotted separate seating accommodation in the library
• Students are not allowed to bring any eatables into the library.
• Students and staff are not permitted to use of mobile phones. Before entering the library, the users must ensure their mobile phones in silent mode.
• Laptops/ desktopsare allowed to be used for academic and research work purposes and not for games.
• Students are expected to behave in a responsible manner.
• Photocopying facility is available at a cost. The cost is subject to revision. Single photocopies of copyrighted materials are placed on reserve. Anything exceeding this will be placed on reserve only after the faculty member secures permission.
• Photocopies or scans will be limited to: a chapter from a book or no more than 10% of a work; a short story, short essay, or short poem, an article from a serial but no more than 10% of an issue.

Loan facilities and terms of borrowing

 

• New text books arrived will be kept for display for two weeks.
• Students and staff of the college may borrow specific textbooks of the schemes. The reference books are not allowed for borrowing.
• Books listed in the library’s scheme catalogues are normally available for borrowing with specific duration.
• Students are allowed to borrow one book of specific textbook scheme against their card for a period of 2 weeks. A faculty member may borrow 2 books at a time for the period of 2 weeks.
• Students have to borrow, renew or return the books only during the loanworking hours of library.
• No books will be lent during vacation.
• Loans may normally be renewed if the books is not required by the library for anotheruser. Special rules apply for items in high use categories.
• Library books or digital material on loan to one person may not be transferred to another. The personin whose name the loan is made is solely responsible for the safekeeping and duereturn of items loaned.

Central Laboratory Policies and Procedures:

Policy	Laboratory
Function	Daily Functioning of Laboratory
Status	Recommended
Audience	Patients
Implementation	Laboratory in-charge/ Head of the Department/ Medical superintendent / Lab technicians/ supervisors
Issued For	Patients and Staff
Date of Review	April 2020
Next Review:	March 2021
Lead Professional	Dean

Aims and Objectives:

Laboratory provides comprehensive services in the areas of Clinical pathology, Haematology, Microbiology, Serology, and Biochemistry which are required by the scope of clinical services of the hospital. Laboratory possesses the staff that are suitably qualified and trained to carry out laboratory tests. The organization employs well qualified personnel for performing the respective work ensuring the best laboratory service, quality and accuracy.

Sample is collected, identified, handled, transported, processed and disposed in a proper channel. The test results for the laboratory test performed in the hospital’s laboratory are available to the patient / relatives / ward in-charge in the defined time frame.

• To provide laboratory services to the patients seeking health care
• To adhere with the standard quality of diagnostic techniques
• To avoid any errors in managing the department and getting expected result on time.
• To avoid any confusion in collection, identification, handling, transportation, processing and disposal of specimen.
• To implement observe strict infection prevention & control procedures and policies.
• To provide the report to the patient on time
• To minimize any reporting error

Laboratory Services are in commensurate to the services provided by the hospital. This policy also applies to all sections of the laboratory ensuring that the competent & adequate human resources are available to perform the work in the best possible way. Each department within the central laboratory (viz Biochemistry, Microbiology, Pathology) is responsible for ongoing assessments and to identify and implement a process, as needed, for the reporting of laboratory values for various tests.

Following laboratory tests are provided in house by laboratory department

• Haematology
• Pathology
• Serology & Immunology
• Biochemistry

Haematology	Haemoglobin estimation TotalLeucocytecount DifferentialLeucocytecount AbsoluteEosinophil count Haemogram E.S.R. Bleedingtime Clottingtime PeripheralBlood Smear Malaria/FilariaParasite Platelet count Packed Cellvolume/ Hemogram
Pathology	Stooltests (For Ova, cyst) Urine and semen analysis. Routineblood counts Peripheral smear examination
Serology & Immunology	Pregnancy test (Urine gravindex) WIDAL test Dengue Chikengunia RA factor test CRP HBSAg HCV RT-PCR
Biochemistry	Blood Sugar GlucoseToleranceTest Glycosylated HbAIc Blood urea, Serum cholesterol Serum bilirubin Liver function tests Kidneyfunction tests Lipid Profile Serum uric acid T3, T4 &TSH
Microbiology	BacteriologyExam. Urine Culture Culture and Sensitivity Tuberculosis culture
The tests described above are only partial list of the total tests performed in the central laboratory.

Procedures: Standard Operating Procedure (General)

Sample Collection.

Sample collection is carried out from 8 am to 1 pm daily and for the Emergency and  IPD it is carried out on 24 hours basis. Sample collection facilities are provided in patient care areas like IPD and within the Laboratory itself. Adequatetoiletfacilities aremade availablecloseto thesample collection area.

Sample Identification:

 

Test requisition form (Laboratory Requisition Form)) contains sufficient information to identify the patient, name of the consultant, unit and unit incharge name requesting the test and pertinent clinical details. These are filled by resident doctor and stamped. The LRF is in the paper form as well as digital request and contains the following:

• Hospital number which is the registration number in the OPD slip of the patient.
• Name of the ordering physician
• Type of primary sample (s) and anatomic site of origin where appropriate.
• Examinations requested
• Clinical information relevant to the patient including age, gender etc.
• Date and time of sample collection
• Date and time of receipt in the laboratory.
• Whether the test is Urgent or Routine

Acceptance  of  sample  in  the  laboratory  and  allotment  of  laboratory  serial  number  in  the respective sections. The serial number is automatically generated from the label maker and is adhered on sample container and the accompanying LRF.The lab reception receiving the samples will enter the details in lab register. In case of outpatients, the reception counter at the central laboratory has the facility of sample collection area. This aseptic area where a technician can collect the sample in aseptic manner.

The primary sample can be traceable through the lab serial numberand date to the LRF and finally to the patient. If for any reason the primary sample lacks proper identification or the accompanying LRF does not have the information needed to register the sample, the sample shall not be accepted or processed.

When the primary sample is critical or irreplaceable and the identification is uncertain the lab may choose to process the specimen but withhold the result until the requesting physician orperson responsible for collecting the sample takes responsibility for the identification of the sample, accepting the sample or providing proper information. The signature of the person taking the responsibility shall be affixed on the TRF and on the report as the person who identified the sample.

Sample Handling

• All samples are handled as per the infection control guidelines
• Universal precautions are to be observed while handling samples

Processing of Samples

• Criteria for rejection of a sample are laid down as follows :
• Samples with incomplete forms or illegible writing
• Any leaking containers or inappropriate samples
• Un-labelled specimens
• Haemolysed specimens
• Samples with insufficient quantity of specimens
• Samples grossly soiled with body fluids

Generally the following procedures are followed:

• If for any reason a less optimal sample is to be processed the reason for this and caution in interpretation of the test result are indicated in the report.
• The examination process shall be accurate and reliable.
• Test procedures are selected based on standard methods that have been published in text books or journals and have been accepted in international/national/ regional guidelines. The details are given in the list of tests.
• The procedures are validated for use by running of controls and calibrators. All these records are maintained in calibration file. The procedures for selection of methods are reviewed once a year and the modifications/changes, if any, are recorded.
• All procedures to perform the tests are documented and are available at the place of work for ready reference.
• Processing of samples is to be carried out as per the requirements of individual tests
• Procedure for testing is to be standardized and necessary instructions issued to all concerned personnel
• Whenever a new kit from a different manufacturer is used, it is evaluated against the kit in use and compatibility with old kit, range, linearity, etc. established. The new kit is introduced only after it meets these criteria. In case any changes are to be made then the corresponding information is modified accordingly
• Samples are processed without delay, and on priority for emergency cases.
• All results are authorized by senior technical staff in the respective sections and are reviewed by doctor if required. The results are checked, evaluated and verified

Disposal of Specimens

• Disposal is  carried  out  in  accordance  with  bio-medical  waste  handling 
• Precautions in accordance with the hospital infection control manual are to be observed
• Any untoward incident in the laboratory like accidents will immediately be recorded and reported.

Activity and Responsibility

• All laboratory tests results, which are so far from the reference range that they indicate a potentially dangerous condition requiring immediate attention, are intimated to the concerned consultant.
• In case the consultant is not reachable the result are brought into the notice of Doctor on Duty.
• The results are also informed to the ward nurse if the patient is admitted to hospital.
• In the case of an outpatient, the results are intimated to the patient directly through available telephone or mobile number.
• The individual accepting the critical test result must record and then read back the critical test result, in its entirety, to the reporter at the time the result is given
• All results are reported in standardized manner. This includes name of organization, name of patient, unique identification number, and reference range of test (where applicable) and name and signature of the person reporting the test result. In case of outsource test results the same shall be on the lab’s letterhead

Policy& Procedures for the Playground

 

Policy	Playground
Function	Daily Functioning of Playground
Status	Recommended
Audience	Students / medical School Staff
Implementation	Physical Trainer/ Vice Principal Administrative Head
Issued For	Students and Staff
Date of Review	April 2020
Next Review:	March 2021
Lead Professional	Dean

Play is an integral part of personal expression, interpersonal growth and community building. The playground of Narayana Medical College wants play time to be safe, fun and a positive learning experience for students and staff.

Policy:

• Students are encouraged to participate in physical play outside the classrooms when the teaching schedules are complete.
• Students must understand and respect the physical boundaries of playground
• Students and staff must be encouraged to take responsibility for the appearance of the college and playground, both inside and out.
• Sports discipline of students is to be handled, whenever possible, considering students’ behaviour, communication with each other, and thinking through a reasonable resolution.
• Verbal indecent name calling and/or physical violence of any kind is never tolerated between either students or staff. A cooling down time, when the students involved are removed from the area of conflict, may be required for extremely “hot” situations.
• Disciplinary problems, especially repetitive ones, should be responded to according to the playground rules and regulations and also in line with the colleges’ main Discipline policy.
• Any concerns regarding students’ discipline, including, but not limited to, obscene name calling, intimidation and physical violence, should be communicated to the appropriate administrative staff member/ disciplinary committee member/s.
• If children have questions or if some situation is not covered by the rules, the Physical trainer(s) in-charge of the playground may stop the activity that they feel may be dangerous.
• Soft balls, small play equipment and skipping ropes may be used with the approval of the Physical Trainer. Footballs are permitted only at the open playground. 
• Students are not to climb any fences or gates, stand on top, or jump from any piece of equipment.
• Throwing any items e.g stones and hard objects is prohibited.
• Pupils must return back into the hostel building/ home immediately after the prescribed playtime is over or whenever the Physical trainer/ Director instructs them to do so.
• Students and staff must play in only the designated areas.
• First year students are not permitted to enter the playground are for the initial 2 months after their admission into college.
• All students before entering the ground must be conversant with the safety rules prescribed for each game.

Procedures:

• Step one: Verbal warning.
• Step two: Remove students from area of conflict to cooling down bench.
• Step three: Student returns to playground after allocated time out.
• Step four: If inappropriate behaviour continues student will be accompanied to the Disciplinary committee chairman / Vice Principal / Dean.

Duration of time out is 5 min / 10 min depending on seriousness of offence.

Significant incidents should be reported directly to the Dean and an incident report noted by the Physical Trainer as soon as possible. An outline of all  incidents should be recorded in the daily book, but more serious incidents will require a written report.

If students are injured they should be sent to the emergency department of the hospital. An injured student should not be left unattended: if additional help is not available immediate message to be sent to the hospital and call the ambulance services. 

An accident report form should be completed immediately after first aid and appropriate care has been given.

General Safety Rulesto be implemented by Physical Trainer

• All games should be approved and played in appropriate areas.
• Any danger or restricted areas in the playground should be so designated.
• Ensure students are wearing appropriate safety wear while playing cricket and foot ball. Appropriate footwear is necessary to play basket ball and tennis. Advise students if footwear is liable to slip off or could result in them falling.
• All playground activities are supervised by the Physical Trainer.
• The best safety policy is good supervision and instruction.
• Everyone utilising the playground should follow the same safety rules.
• Students should understand playtime safety rules and these should be reviewed occasionally to take account of new students, new playground equipment or guidelines that need to be implemented.
• The Physical Trainer must stay involved with all of the students in the playground, use direct eye contact to help prevent inappropriate behaviour and ensure the adequate number of assistants are on duty.
• The Dean office should be notified immediately in case of any untoward incident. Ensure equipment is suitable for use by its users, direct students to equipment appropriate to their calibre and familiarity and ensure students are aware of appropriate use of the equipment.
• If any equipment appears to be faulty or damaged send it to workshop immediately.
• Teach the students the safety rules of the playground, areas that students are allowed to play in, designated areas that are used only for skipping, etc and agree on rules before children use equipment.
• Enforce playground rules firmly and consistently.

Classroom Policies and Procedures:

Policy	Classrooms
Function	Daily Functioning of Classrooms
Status	Recommended
Audience	Students / medical School Staff
Implementation	Departmental Head/ Vice Principal Academic Head / Administrative officer
Issued For	Students and Staff
Date of Review	April 2020
Next Review:	March 2021
Lead Professional	Dean

There are 5 classrooms in the college building and the rest are in the hospital buildings complex. Each classroom situated in the college & administrative building is allotted to one department and head of that department is responsible for the classroom neatness and keeping it tidy. These lecture theatres are provided with facial ID recognition machines to register the student attendance.

Classroom Rules

• Enter and exit the room in a quiet and orderly manner with the required materials.
• Always be attentive and ready to work.
• Keep the desk areas and classroom clean. Student scribbling any matter on the desk is prohibited
• Raise a hand if there is any doubt to be cleared during the classroom.
• Treat others in the same kind and respectful manner that we would like to be treated.

Classroom Discipline

• Enter the room quietly
• Find a convenient seat.
• Before the teacher needs the classroom, all students should be seated and maintain classroom discipline.
• All students should wear apron and college Id card while attending the class.
• Students are prohibited from using the AV equipment unless the teacher concerned permits.

Rules to be followed by the students:

• Be Respectful – Every student has the right to a safe and secure classroom: you do not have the right to impede or jeopardize that in any way. Be respectful of yourself, your environment, your fellow classmates, and your teacher. Treat others the way you want to be treated.
• Be Responsible – Students are morally accountable for their actions of irresponsibility. Act rationally; choose wisely. Recognize your own role in building a fun and productive community of learners. Students should understand that there will be consequences, both good and bad, for their actions.
• Be Safe – Student should think about where they are and whom they are with. They should guarantee against harm or injury to another.
• Be Cooperative – Time and again student will be asked to do something that they may not like or think is worthless. Be mature, work through it.
• Be a Worker – Do the job! Student shall challenge self to be productive. They should use their time wisely.
• Be Peaceful – Students must exercise self-control.

Classroom Policies

Class Rules

Students shall exhibit courtesy and respect toward all other students at all times. Hateful comments concerning race, gender, sexuality, political views, appearance, or of any other type will not be tolerated; this applies to serious as well as “joking” comments.

• Physical contact of any kind is not permitted. Violation of this simple rule will be punished by the most severe consequences possible.
• Cell Phones, Pagers, Ipods /MP3 Players Stay in their Backpack and Turned Off – These items serve as a disruption to valuable class time and are not allowed into the class as a general policy.
• Students are not permitted to eat in the classroom. This includes gum and candy. Drinks in closable containers (bottles with a lid) are permitted.
• Students are not supposed to doze or sleep in class. To prevent this, students’ eyes must be open and visible to the teacher at all times.
• Nothing will go airborne in class at any time. This includes pens, paper, and other students.
• Tables, Chairs and Seats Remain Where they are!
• Punishments will always fit the crime. There are behaviors that will warrant a Vice Principal’s / Dean’s Referral immediately. Examples of this include gross insubordination or violent behavior.
• Behaviors that are less severe, but in violation of the basic rules of the class will be dealt with in a suitable manner. A student, who is not in the classroom when I close the classroom door, is considered either late or tardy. A student is tardy if he is without a pass or note from another teacher.. A student is late if he arrives with a pass/teacher note after I close the door. Late students need to give me their pass at an appropriate time, i.e. when I’m not talking to the class as a group. There is no penalty for arriving late with a pass or note from another teacher.
• It is expected that students will use genuine, sincere, and fair means for the accomplishment of the tests, tasks, or projects from which evaluations of progress shall be determined. Students found plagiarizing, copying or cheating in any way will receive automatic zeros and have phone calls made to their parents. In addition, a write-up of the incident will be communicated to their parents.

Computers Policies and Procedures:

Policy	computers
Function	Daily Functioning of computer laboratory
Status	Recommended
Audience	Students / medical School Staff
Implementation	Librarian/ Vice Principal Academic Head / Supervisors
Issued For	Students and Staff
Date of Review	April 2020
Next Review:	March 2021
Lead Professional	Dean

There are fifty computers in the computer laboratory situated in the central library. This unit is open for all undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Maintenance of Computer Hardware & Peripherals

The computer laboratory is maintained by the central computer section of the Narayana medical College. The computer section is responsible for the upgradation of the computersystems and peripherals that are either under warranty or annual maintenance contract.

This section may receive complaints from the central library where the computer laboratory is situated, if any of the particularcomputer systems are causing network related problems. It may receive complaints from the users if any of the computer systems orperipherals that are under maintenance through them are having any problems.

The designated person (hardware technician)incomputer section receives complaints from theusers/INTERNET UNIT of these computer systems and coordinates with the service engineers ofthe respective brands of the computer systems to resolve the problem within a reasonable timelimit.

The computer laboratory or its service engineers should not encourage installing any unauthorizedsoftware on the computer systems of the users. They should strictly refrain from obliging suchrequests.

When the serviceengineers reformat the computer systems and re-install OS and otherapplication software, care should be taken to give the same hostname, IP address, network Mask,gateway as it was having earlier. Further, after installing the OS all the patches/latest servicepack should also be properly installed. In case of anti-virus software, service engineers shouldmake sure that its latest engine and pattern files are also downloaded from the net.

Further, before reformatting the hard disk, dump of only the data files should be taken forrestoring it back after proper re-installation. Under no circumstances, software files from theinfected hard disk dump should be used to write it back on the formatted hard disk.

Where there is an element of doubt as to a particular problem on the computer connected to thenetwork is related to the network or the software installed or hardware malfunctioning, computer section/service engineer may coordinate with INTERNET UNIT staff to resolve the problem with joint effort. This task should not be left to the individual user.

Procedure:

• Students are not supposed to save files to the lab computers’ hard drives. Instead, save them to their own media (USB flash drive), Google Drive, or a removable disk. Files saved on the lab computers are regularly deleted.
• Use of the computer facilities should not hamper or interfere with the ability of other students to do academic work. Activities to be avoided include but are not limited to excessive computer volume, loud conversation or laughter, use of offensive language, viewing of offensive or explicit imagery, cell phone calls, and other disruptive behaviour.
• Be courteous to your fellow lab patrons by silencing your cell phone, and by taking all personal conversations and/or cell phone calls outside the lab.
• Students are not allowed to instruct command of print. Prints are available through network at a nominal cost. Please do not print multiple copies using lab printers. A photocopier is available for high-volume duplication.
• Keep our computer lab clean! Please dispose of your own trash, and pack out any items that you brought in.
• Food and drink are not permitted in the lab.
• No alcohol, tobacco or other drugs are allowed in the lab.
• Viewing of pornography or other sexually explicit materials in the lab is not appropriate. If anyone in the lab sees you engaging in such activity, you may be asked to stop the activity immediately and/or leave the computer lab.
• Playing online games is strictly prohibited
• Accessing or attempting to gain unauthorized access into any account to use, read, transfer, or change contents in any way of another user‘s account will be viewed as theft of resources and as computer fraud.
• Using computing resources to interfere with the normal operation of College computing systems and connected networks including, but not limited to, introducing viruses, flooding the network with messages, sending chain letters, downloading or transferring excessively large files, or unfairly monopolizing resources that results in the exclusion of others in such a way that it causes disruption in instruction or computer labs or exploits network security and/or other vulnerabilities is prohibited. Intentionally causing any damage to any equipment is prohibited.
• The creating, displaying, posting, or transmitting of any unlawful, threatening, abusive, fraudulent, hateful, defamatory, racist, sexist, obscene or pornographic, harassing, or offensive language, images and/or materials is not permitted. Harassment or stalking, whether it be physical, verbal, electronic, or any other form of abuse, will not be tolerated
• Accidental damage, or damage caused by other parties, must be reported as soon as possible so that corrective action may be taken
• Adhere to One Net Acceptable Use Policy.
• The above is a representative set of rules and guidelines. Any individual whose conduct violates the above guidelines or is not consistent with what is expected of a competent computer user will be subject to the penalising actions.

Wireless Network

Narayana Medical College offers free wireless network access in the campus areas to all faculty, staff, students, and visitors. All wireless users must be authenticated. Faculty, staff, and students will be able to login to the wireless network using their Narayana Medical College account username and password.