Twelve government Ayush health centres in the district have obtained the accreditation of the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH).
Ayurvedic dispensaries at Thrikkadavoor, Thodiyur, Kummil, Veliyam, Yeroor, Kuzhikkalidavaka, and Eravipuram and dispensaries under the Department of Homeopathy at Kunnathur, Kottarakara, Adichanallur, Polayathodu, and Kalluvathukkal are the units that secured accreditation.
According to officials, work to upgrade all Ayush health centres in Kerala to NABH standards in four phases is progressing at a fast pace.
The initial steps at the institutions selected for the first phase started in April 2023 and the application was submitted to the NABH after completing the process in 90 days. The 150 Ayush institutions selected in the second phase are expected to receive the recognition by March 2024. Accreditation is the first step towards formulating and implementing an action plan to make Ayush facilities in the State centres of excellence. As part of this, departmental quality teams have been formed in all districts and district level nodal officers and facilitators have been appointed to coordinate NABH activities in each district.
In order to implement the action plan in a time-bound manner, meetings were organised to create awareness among local bodies. While quality teams and community health officers were trained at various levels, inspections were conducted at district level and State level. Constituting management committees for evaluation, documentation of activities, and preparation of a handbook for entry level certification for the first time in the country were the other steps taken.
