In India’s fast-changing healthcare environment, patient safety and infection prevention are leading as to operational priorities. However, one critical function seems to be overlooked: healthcare laundry. In a local trade magazine, Akash Dharamsey – Managing Director, ADD Laundry Concepts Pvt. Ltd – explained that the quality, safety and traceability of processed linen have a direct and measurable impact on hospital-acquired infections, hygiene compliance and overall clinical outcomes.
While technologies such as tunnel washing systems, barrier washers, pneumatic conveyors, automated dosing and RFID tracking are globally a standard, adoption in India seems to remain minimal. Consequently, a gap between required and actual hygiene outcomes may arise, as well as the risk of hospital-acquired infections in healthcare facilities. In that respect some challenges occur: workforce skill shortage, limited training programs, poor understanding of wash chemistry and disinfection, gaps in PPE discipline, inefficiencies in chemicals, water, and process control. Efficiencies in these fields, jeopardise hygiene and increase costs.
The healthcare laundry sector in India is at a turning point. Rising patient volumes, private healthcare expansion and greater emphasis on infection control, require standardisation, infrastructure planning, modern technology adoption and skilled workforce development. In short, mature healthcare systems treat laundry as a critical medical process—not a secondary support function. Healthcare laundry is not just about clean linen. It is about patient safety, infection control and trust. Therefore, it’s time the country’s laundry sector receives the attention, resources and respect it deserves.