Five hospitals in Telangana have received quality certification under the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS).
Senior officials of the State Health department were presented with the award in Delhi on June 28 by the Union Health Ministry. A total of 401 facilities across the country received the award.
The awarded hospitals in Telangana are Ayushman Aarogya Mandir Damshalauram (Khammam), Primary Health Centre Kathalapur (Jagtiyal), Urban Primary Health Centre Addaguntapally (Peddapalli), Community Health Centre Utnoor (Adilabad), and Area Hospital Huzurabad (Karimnagar).
There are six categories of hospitals, including Ayushman Aarogya Mandhir (AAM), Primary Health Centre (PHC), Urban Primary Health Centre (UPHC), Community Health Centre (CHC), Area Hospital (AH), and District Hospital (DH). Telangana received awards in five of these categories, said J. Ajaya Kumar, Commissioner of Telangana Vaidya Vidhana Parishad (TVVP).
The NQAS programme, developed by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, addresses the specific needs of public health facilities while incorporating global best practices. NQAS standards are available for District Hospitals, CHCs, PHCs, and Urban PHCs. These standards are designed for providers to assess and improve their quality through predefined criteria, ultimately aiming for certification.
The parameters for the award included 24/7 mandatory service accessibility, availability of curative, preventive, and diagnostic services, implementation of safety measures in primary care facilities, hospital infection control, cleanliness and hygiene, safe and respectful maternity care, infrastructure and equipment availability, initiatives to reduce Maternal and Neonatal Mortality Rates, and increased patient satisfaction.