Process initiated to get quality certification for 69 govt health institutions

The district health authorities have started the process for getting 69 hospitals in Kangra certified under the National Quality Assurance Scheme (NQAS).

Meeting global benchmarks

The National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) are broadly arranged under eight areas of concern of service provision, patient rights, inputs, support services, clinical care, infection control, quality management and outcome. These standards are International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQUA) accredited and meet the global benchmarks in terms of comprehensiveness, objectivity, evidence and rigour of development

Chief Medical Officer, CMO Kangra, Dr Rajesh Guleri, while talking to The Tribune, said the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) had been developed keeping in view the specific requirements for public health facilities as well best global practices.

The NQAS are currently available for district hospitals, CHCs, PHCs and Urban PHCs. Standards are primarily meant for providers to assess their own quality for improvement through pre-defined standards and to bring up their facilities for certification. The NQAS are broadly arranged under eight areas of concern of service provision, patient rights, inputs, support services, clinical care, infection control, quality management and outcome. These standards are International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQUA) accredited and meet the global benchmarks in terms of comprehensiveness, objectivity, evidence and rigour of development, he said.

Dr Guleri said in Kangra district, Zonal Hospital in Dharmsala was already certified under the NQAS. Twelve other hospitals in the district were certified at the state level under the quality standards. We have now started the process of getting 69 hospitals in the district under the NQAS. Initially, these hospitals would be registered at the state level and then under the NQAS, he said.

Dr Guleri said the doctors serving in the 69 institutions that would be certified under NQAS had been directed to complete formalities and follow the processes prescribed under the NQAS. Once the hospitals are registered under the NQAS, these would be provided with certificates and also cash awards, he said.

The CMO said in case 69 hospitals in Kangra were registered under the NQAS, it could also help promote health tourism in the district as the standards under NQAS were internationally certified, he said.