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State now more focused in quality healthcare services: Sarma

By Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI, Sept 16 - In a major achievement by the National Health Mission, Assam, for the first time in the State various government health institutions have competed and achieved National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS).

Altogether 236 government health institutions have achieved quality benchmarks in 2019-20, an official release said.

To mark the occasion, a felicitation ceremony was held at the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra on Sunday where Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Minister of Health & Family Welfare, Finance & PWD, was the chief guest.

The quality awards are given in three benchmarks. National Quality Assurance Standards are the Gold Standards in Quality Assurance, certified by IsQUA which is an international organisation and approved by the Government of India.

LaQshya awards are given to the best performing institution targeting to strengthen key process related to labour room and maternity operation theatre. Kayakalp awards promote cleanliness in public healthcare facilities and are a standard of care for controlling hospital-acquired infections and infection control.

The Health Minister also released a coffee table book Journey of Quality.

In his address, the Minister said that Assam had progressed very well since 2006 till today and �it has been a beautiful journey which we all have achieved together�. Appreciating the changes in healthcare infrastructure and services, he said that those were corroborated by national-level certification such as NQAS and LaQshya.

�Assam is now more focused in providing quality services in all the sectors of healthcare. NHM, Assam has introduced quality markers such as NQAS which could be achieved by Goalpara Civil Hospital and Ledo PHC, but this is not enough. All the 25 district hospitals should be NQAS-certified in coming days,� he said.

The 200-bed Goalpara Civil Hospital and Ledo Primary Health Centre, Tinsukia have been awarded for being the first district hospital and PHC respectively in the State to achieve NQAS certification.

Goalpara Civil Hospital scored 85 per cent for ten departments, having met all the criteria and benchmarks required for National Quality Assurance Standards. Ledo MPHC, Tinsukia scored 91.6 per cent in the NQAS certification.

Eighteen facilities in the State are LaQshya certified out of which four civil hospitals (Goalpara, Darrang, Nalbari and Haflong civil hospitals) have received national certification.

Goalpara Civil Hospital and Haflong Civil Hospital have received platinum certificates for achieving more than 90 per cent score in LaQshya.

Under Kayakalp category, SM Dev Civil Hospital, Cachar received the first prize (Rs 50 lakh) among district hospitals in the State. Sonapur Civil Hospital, Kamrup (M) received the runner-up award (Rs 20 lakh) in the district hospital category. Jonai CHC, Dhemaji received the first prize (Rs 15 lakh) and Pandu FRU, Kamrup (M) received the runner-up award (Rs 10 lakh) under the CHC category.

Bordirak PHC, Tinsukia received the winner award under the PHC category. Amingaon UPHC, Kamrup and Chaparigaon UPHC, Lakhimpur, received the winner award under the UPHC category, with all receiving a prize money of Rs 2 lakh each.

Also present on the occasion were Samir K Sinha, Principal Secretary, Dept of Health & Family Welfare; Anurag Goel, Commissioner & Secretary, Dept of Health & Family Welfare; JVN Subramanyam, Mission Director, NHM, Assam and other dignitaries.

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