‘The dignity of bedridden patients must be maintained at all costs’

Hailing from Delhi, Ruchika completed her MSc in Clinical Research from the School of Biosciences, Apeejay Stya University (ASU), Gurgaon. She works with Consure Medical, an emerging medical device company that is known for creating a novel stool management kit for faecal containment in bedridden patients. In an interview, Ruchika highlights the importance of maintaining patients’ dignity in critical care environments, how to deal with a lack of appreciation at the workplace and why there’s no such thing as a dream job.

What is the role of a QA specialist?

As a QA specialist you have to be a stickler for details. You must ensure that the final product observes the company’s quality standards. Since you are involved in every stage of the product development, you need to have excellent people management skills. In addition, you must have the ability to identify problems before they happen and implement solutions that detect and prevent outages.

How important is it to ensure patients’ dignity when accessing and using toilets?

Faecal incontinence, a medical condition marked by inability to control one’s bowel movements, affects nearly 100 million bed-ridden patients worldwide. The nursing staff has no other choice but to change soiled bed sheets by hand, particularly in the case of immobilised patients. In some cases patients have to spend days on unclean beds or use adult diapers, which cause the skin to inflame or become irritated. It can even cause urinary infection. So, for bed-bound patients, there’s a need for incontinence products that provide comfort, reliability against leaks, maintain skin breathability, and importantly, keep the dignity of the patient intact. Dignity is critical to nursing care and maintaining patients’ dignity is vital to their recovery and emotional well-being. The dignity of bedridden patients must be maintained at all cost.

Tell us in brief about your company’s stool management kit?

The name of the device is Qora, it’s an applicator that inserted into the anal cavity to provide a pathway for stool diversion with very little leakage. It also prevents nosocomial infections (an infection that is acquired in a hospital) and other complications. The stool is diverted to a collection bag before being disposed of. The device is available across numerous hospitals in India and the US.  We have also made a urine management device called Qivi for bedridden patients.

What’s your advice to freshers?

Give yourself some time to adjust to your new job. There will be a lot to take in, so try to prioritise your learning, focus on understanding the nitty-gritty of your work and build relationships with those around you. Remember, a ‘dream job’ is a myth. Maybe a handful of professionals can boast of this, but every job has its shortcomings. Stop holding yourself to some unrealistic expectation. The effort should be to explore opportunities that engage you the most and helps you grow professionally. Secondly, be honest with your work. Don’t feel dejected if your work has gone unnoticed.  Keep the focus on your work and set your own goals and track your progress. When you do this, you’re able to create internal motivation. Appreciate yourself first. If you do that you will feel good about yourself.