Latest news with #NationalQualityAssuranceStandards
Mint
4 hours ago
- Health
- Mint
Now cleanliness at hospitals to be an important criteria for quality certification
New Delhi: Hospitals will be checked for standards of cleanliness and hygiene from now on before they are granted National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification, said an official aware of the matter and a letter seen by Mint. Government funding for states and union territories is conditional on their health facilities getting the necessary NQAS certification—a set of standards for assessing and certifying the quality of public health facilities in India. The development comes against the backdrop of growing incidence of hospital infections. Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) pose a significant risk, impacting patient health and healthcare costs. In India, a 2022 Lancet report indicated a rate of 1.73 HAI cases per 1,000 patient days. This represents a slight increase from the 1.61 cases per 1,000 patient days reported in 2021. This strategic linkage uses Kayakalp to directly drive facilities towards achieving and maintaining high NQAS quality benchmarks, contributing to the "Ease of Living" for citizens. This will motivate public health facilities to achieve higher standards of hygiene, sanitation, waste management and overall upkeep, with a national goal for all facilities to attain NQAS certification by December 2026. A senior official in a communication to the State/UT government emphasized the health ministry's priority on quality certification for healthcare facilities for improving health indicators and achieving NQAS certification. According to the health ministry's communication dated 7 July 2025, seen by Mint, the new policy introduces a crucial change to the Kayakalp scheme. Previously, incentives were provided for Kayakalp (cleanliness and hygiene) performance and also upon achieving National level NQAS certification. The letter stated that now, facilities will only receive Kayakalp incentives if they apply for state-level NQAS certification within three months of receiving their Kayakalp results in the same financial year. This ensures a direct pathway from foundational improvements to formal quality recognition. Furthermore, to encourage progression from state to national certification, the union health ministry has decided that states can claim 25% of the national certification incentive once a facility achieves state-level NQAS certification. This partial incentive release is based on several strict criteria, i.e. the State Quality Assurance Committee is satisfied that the state certification has been conducted as per the protocol defined by the National Health System Resource Centre (NHSRC). 'The overall score of the facility in state certification is 80% and the score against each standard is 70%. There are no conditional requirements or pending compliances. The facility has applied for the NQAS certification within two months of getting the state certification. The remaining 75% of the incentive will be claimed after national certification is achieved," the letter said. Notably, out of 1.75 lakh (175,000) health facilities targeted for quality certification by next year, only 22,787 had achieved NQAS certification by December of last year. According to a Lancet report from 2018, India could potentially save a significant number of lives by improving healthcare quality. The study indicated that about 1.6 million deaths each year in the country are linked to substandard care, and that providing quality healthcare could prevent three out of five of these fatalities. There haven't been any newer studies in India on this specific issue since then. 'Cleanliness and quality are not luxuries in healthcare—they are fundamental rights of every patient. The Government of India's move to integrate Kayakalp with the NQAS is a vital step toward institutionalizing a culture of excellence in public health facilities. Certification under NQAS not only ensures better infection control, hygiene and patient safety but also builds public trust and staff morale. Having worked closely with accreditation systems and quality frameworks (NABH , CAHO and QCI) in India, I believe this structured and incentivized approach will significantly uplift standards of care across the country—especially when implemented with the full engagement of healthcare providers and state leadership. Clean, safe and quality-assured hospitals are the cornerstone of a healthier, more resilient India," said Dr. Alexander Thomas, founder and patron, Association of National Board Accredited Institutions (ANBAI) and Association of Healthcare Providers India (AHPI). Queries sent to the health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Health
- The Hindu
Govt. hospital in Alangudi gets NQAS, Kayakalp certification
The Government Hospital in Alangudi, Pudukkottai District, has been awarded the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) and Kayakalp certification for the year 2025-26. According to an official press release, as part of the NQAS assessment, a team of officials from Hyderabad, Thiruvananthapuram, and Visakhapatnam inspected the hospital, and enquired about professional knowledge, service, cleanliness, and the performance of its 13 departments. NQAS was instituted by the National Health and Family Welfare Department in 2013 to promote quality healthcare services in government hospitals and primary health centres. The standards are vetted by the National Society for Quality in External Health Care Quality Association. Kayakalp, a national initiative by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, aimed at promoting cleanliness, hygiene, and infection control in public healthcare facilities, has been rolled out in secondary and primary care facilities in Tamil Nadu through the Directorate of Medical and Rural Health Services and the Directorate of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, respectively. M. Periyasamy, chief medical officer, said that these programmes had resulted in fewer hospital-acquired infections, early recovery, and discharge of patients in healthy conditions, indirectly improving the doctor-patient relationship.
Mint
10-07-2025
- Health
- Mint
Quality drive at govt health units runs into ‘missing data' problem
New Delhi: The Union government has doubled down on attempts to enforce quality at government-run health facilities after a recent review meeting heard that state governments were supplying "missing, inconsistent and outdated' data, holding back the Centre's efforts. Accurate data is needed for the Center to roll out National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification, a set of standards for assessing and certifying the quality of public health facilities in India. The National Health Mission's (NHM) funding for states and union territories is conditional on their health facilities getting the necessary NQAS certification. Seized of the issue, the Union health ministry is asking all states and union territories to promptly update their health facility information on the National Identification Number (NIN) portal–the central repository for all hospital data. The problem has left the Centre facing difficulties mapping health facility data on the SaQsham portal, which is essential for issuing NQAS certification. The portal requires accurate and complete hospital data, including location details and a unique NIN ID. According to a letter from the health ministry, the issue was a key challenge highlighted during the NQAS implementation review meeting. 'The SaQsham Portal, designed to digitize and streamline the NQAS certification, relies on accurate and complete facility-level data, including block name, taluka, district, and unique NIN ID, sourced via APIs from the NIN Portal,' said the letter sent to all states and union territories. 'However, observations reveal that data on the NIN ID Portal is often "missing, inconsistent, or outdated," which is hampering the ability of States/UTs to effectively map their health facilities and consequently delaying certification and reporting activities under NQAS,' said the letter seen by Mint. To boost healthcare quality, the government has mandated NQAS certification for all public health facilities, including district hospitals, community health centres, and primary health centers (both rural and urban), along with Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, formerly known as Ayushman Bharat Health & Wellness Centres, that provide primary healthcare services to all citizens. The health ministry is working towards certifying 50% of these facilities by the end of 2025, with a broader goal of certifying all of them by December 2026. Out of 175,000 health facilities targeted for quality certification by the next year, only 22,787 had achieved NQAS certification by December last year. According to a Lancet report from 2018, India could potentially save a significant number of lives by improving the quality of healthcare. The study indicated that about 1.6 million deaths each year in the country are linked to substandard care, and that providing quality healthcare could prevent three out of five of these fatalities. There haven't been any newer studies in India on this specific issue since then. Queries sent to the health ministry spokesperson remained unanswered.
Time of India
09-07-2025
- Health
- Time of India
NQAS-certified UPHCs go up to 7 in Trichy
Trichy: Trichy corporation's Kamaraj Nagar urban primary health centre (UPHC) near the airport is accredited with National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification by National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) for maintaining better health infrastructure and providing quality healthcare. The centre secured a score of 91.9% and high in eight out of 12 departmental services provided. An external assessment involving document verifications, interviewing medical officers, nurses, and patients was conducted by NHSRC on June 20 and 21. A team assessed components including health infrastructure, quality management, usage of personal protection equipment, and sterilisation of medical equipment. The survey report sent to Trichy corporation said the UPHC has complied with all criteria and scored 91.9% marks. In departments such as laboratory, maternal health, newborn care, emergency, general clinic, and immunisation, the UPHC scored above 90%. However, in general administration, and providing services for communicable and non-communicable diseases it scored below 90% marks. As NQAS certification comes with a cash reward of Rs 3 lakh, city health officer M Vijay Chandran said that around 25% of the reward will be utilised in providing incentives to health centre employees, and the remaining amount to improve health and civil infrastructure. "So far, seven UPHCs are certified. We will complete certification for all 18 UPHCs within the year. EB road, Woraiyur, and MK Kottai UPHCs are in the process of getting NQAS certification," he said.
The Hindu
09-07-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Kamaraj Nagar UPHC receives NQAS certification
The Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC) at Kamaraj Nagar in Tiruchi has received the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification from the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). The UPHC achieved a score of 91.92% and fulfilled all certification requirements. The facility received accreditation for adhering to the highest standards in healthcare, especially in parameters such as preventive and curative services, diagnostic services, providing services as per local needs, maintenance and upkeep of equipment and infrastructure, maternal care, newborn and childcare, implementing strict hand hygiene for employees and waste management, etc. A national assessment team inspected the centre on June 20 and 21 for an assessment before certification being issued. The quality of infrastructure, including services offered to expectant mothers and newborns, treatment for communicable and non-communicable diseases, was assessed by the specialists. As a result, the UPHC has won a cash reward of ₹3 lakh. About 25% of the prize money will be given as incentives to the healthcare workers at the centre, and the balance will be used for patient welfare and the development of the UPHC. So far, the UPHCs in Subramaniyapuram, Gandhipuram, Ramalinga Nagar, Edamalaipatti Pudur, Periyamilaguparai, and Thennur have received NQAS certification. Kamaraj Nagar is the seventh UPHC to get certified. The NQAS teams are scheduled to assess the UPHCs in Woraiyur, MK Kottai and East Boulevard Road this month. The civic body aims to acquire certification for the remaining 11 health centres by this year.
