
Seven more health institutions in Kerala get NQAS certification
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Among the newly certified institutions, the Begur family health centre in Wayanad scored the highest with 98.79%, followed by the Koppam community health centre in Palakkad with 97.63%, and the Perumanna family health centre in Kozhikode with 95.08%. Among others, the Chaliyar family health centre in Kozhikode secured 94.47%, the Kunnamangalam family health centre in Kozhikode got 90.75%, the Chattanchal family health centre in Kasaragod scored 86.88%, and the Panathur family health centre in Kasaragod received 85.88%.
With these additions, Kerala now has 240 NQAS-accredited health institutions, including seven district hospitals, five taluk hospitals, 12 community health centres, 46 urban family health centres, 160 family health centres, and 10 Janakeeya health centres.
In addition to NQAS, 14 hospitals in the state have secured the National Lakshya certification for quality maternal healthcare, while five others have been awarded the Muskan certification for child-friendly services.
The NQAS certification is valid for a period of three years, after which a reassessment is carried out by a national-level team. Annual inspections are also conducted at the state level to ensure continued compliance with quality benchmarks.
Accredited institutions receive financial incentives to support service quality. Family and urban family health centres are allotted Rs 2 lakh each annually, Janakeeya health centres receive Rs 18,000 per service package, and other hospitals are granted Rs 10,000 per bed every year.
The minister said that these recognitions reflect the state's focused efforts to improve primary healthcare delivery and maintain high standards across all levels of the public health system.
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Time of India
2 days ago
- Time of India
Seven more health institutions in Kerala get NQAS certification
T'puram: Seven more health institutions in the state have secured the prestigious National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification, taking the total number of accredited facilities in the state to 240, health minister Veena George said on Friday. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Among the newly certified institutions, the Begur family health centre in Wayanad scored the highest with 98.79%, followed by the Koppam community health centre in Palakkad with 97.63%, and the Perumanna family health centre in Kozhikode with 95.08%. Among others, the Chaliyar family health centre in Kozhikode secured 94.47%, the Kunnamangalam family health centre in Kozhikode got 90.75%, the Chattanchal family health centre in Kasaragod scored 86.88%, and the Panathur family health centre in Kasaragod received 85.88%. With these additions, Kerala now has 240 NQAS-accredited health institutions, including seven district hospitals, five taluk hospitals, 12 community health centres, 46 urban family health centres, 160 family health centres, and 10 Janakeeya health centres. In addition to NQAS, 14 hospitals in the state have secured the National Lakshya certification for quality maternal healthcare, while five others have been awarded the Muskan certification for child-friendly services. The NQAS certification is valid for a period of three years, after which a reassessment is carried out by a national-level team. Annual inspections are also conducted at the state level to ensure continued compliance with quality benchmarks. Accredited institutions receive financial incentives to support service quality. Family and urban family health centres are allotted Rs 2 lakh each annually, Janakeeya health centres receive Rs 18,000 per service package, and other hospitals are granted Rs 10,000 per bed every year. The minister said that these recognitions reflect the state's focused efforts to improve primary healthcare delivery and maintain high standards across all levels of the public health system.


Mint
4 days ago
- 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.


India Today
7 days ago
- India Today
Kerala has 571 on Nipah contact list, 27 at highest risk, says Health Minister
Kerala has placed 571 people on the Nipah virus contact list across five districts, Health Minister Veena George said after a high-level review meeting on contact list includes 62 individuals from Malappuram, 418 from Palakkad, 89 from Kozhikode, and one each from Ernakulam and people are currently under treatment in isolation in Malappuram. One person in Palakkad is also being treated in isolation. Meanwhile, ten people, one from Malappuram, two from Palakkad, and seven from Kozhikode, have been removed from the contact list after completing their isolation According to the health department, 27 people in the state fall under the highest risk category, while 78 are considered high health minister chaired a meeting with top officials, including the Additional Chief Secretary of Health, NHM State Mission Director, Directors of Health and Medical Education, District Collectors, police officials, and other department heads, to assess the situation and coordinate containment intensified surveillance follows the second Nipah-related death reported in Kerala last week. A 57-year-old man from Mannarkkad in Palakkad died after developing severe respiratory distress, initial tests confirmed Nipah a death was reported in Malappuram this year. In 2024, the state also saw another death linked to Nipah virus officials continue to urge vigilance and adherence to protocols to prevent further spread.- EndsMust Watch IN THIS STORY#Kerala