Three more hospitals in Kerala have received National Quality Assurance Standards certification.
These include Paaralam family health centre at Thrissur, Kulappully urban family health centre at Palakkad and the urban health centre at Karunagappally, Kollam.
Till date, 175 healthcare institutions in the State have received the NQAS certification.
The hospitals received the quality certification as part of a government initiative to upgrade the infrastructural facilities and services in government hospitals and elevate these to national quality standards. People’s representatives and local self-government bodies are joining hands to secure quality standards certification for all district and taluk hospitals also.
Of the 175 institutions that secured NQAS, five are district hospitals, four taluk hospitals, nine community health centres, 41 urban primary health centres and 116 are family health centres.
National Quality Assurance Standards were developed by the National Health Systems Resource Centre, the technical support institution of the National Health Mission.
The NQAS certification are broadly arranged under eight ‘areas of concern’ namely service provision, patient rights, inputs, support services, clinical care, infection control, quality management, and outcome.
Valid for three years
Hospitals undergo district-level and State-level quality inspection checks for some 6,500 check points under the areas of concern, before being certified by a national-level team. NQAS certification is valid for three years after which hospitals will have to apply for re-certification.
Hospitals also receive financial incentives for securing the certification, which can be used by the institution for its development works.
