Sankara Eye Hospital hosts ‘CSSD 360’ workshop on sterilisation and patient safety

Workshop focused on strengthening sterile processing standards, infection prevention, and CSSD best practices in healthcare settings

Sankara Eye Hospital organised the “CSSD 360 – Standardize, Sterilise, Safeguard” workshop to highlight the critical role of Central Sterile Supply Departments (CSSD) in patient safety and prevention of healthcare-associated infections.

Conducted under the guidance of Sai Shruthi, Chief Microbiologist at Sankara Eye Hospital, the workshop brought together microbiologists, infection control specialists, hospital administrators, quality managers, and CSSD technicians to discuss evidence-based sterilisation practices and adherence to national and international standards.

Sriram Simakurthy, Chief Medical Officer at Sankara Eye Hospital, emphasized the importance of CSSD in clinical care, particularly in ophthalmology, where even minor contamination can result in serious complications.

The workshop featured sessions by leading experts from across the healthcare sector. Vijendra Kawle, Consultant Microbiologist at Rainbow Children’s Hospital, discussed CSSD fundamentals and workflow optimization, while Safaa Muneer Ahmed from Renova Hospitals spoke on infection prevention and microbiological considerations.

Shailesh Mehta, Director at Medovation Inc., delivered a session on sterilization validation and kill kinetics, and Ramakrishna Pai from AIIMS Mangalagiri discussed advancements in cleaning, disinfection, and sterilization technologies.

Additional sessions included quality management systems in CSSD by Pragathi K. of AIG Hospitals and regulatory guidelines, including NABH and JCI standards, by Mustafa Afzal from Care Hospitals.

Speaking during the workshop, Dr Sriram Simakurthy said, “In ophthalmic care, precision is everything—and that extends beyond the surgeon’s skill to the sterility of every instrument used. Even the smallest lapse in sterilization can have serious consequences for patient outcomes. Strengthening CSSD systems is not optional; it is fundamental to delivering safe and high-quality eye care.”