TN healthcare facilities awarded over 400 certifications for quality services

CHENNAI: Healthcare facilities across the State received 403 certifications including the National Quality Assurance Scheme (NQAS) award, Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative (LaQshya) certificates, and MusQan certifications for delivering quality services.

Health Minister Ma Subramanian handed over the certifications to the healthcare workers of the facilities at the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University on Tuesday.

LaQshya and NQAS certification are both granted by the Union Health Ministry. NQAS recognises facilities that provide quality treatment and medical care, and are equipped with advanced medical infrastructure. And, LaQshya is given to facilities that provide quality care during intrapartum and immediate postpartum period in the labour room and maternity wards. MusQan aims to ensure provision of quality child-friendly services in public health facilities to reduce preventable newborn and child morbidity and mortality.

Out of the 403 awards given to Tamil Nadu, at least 66 NQAS certifications were awarded for 8 District Headquarters Hospitals and 53 Health Centres. As many as 206 Primary Health Centres, 37 Urban Primary Health Centres and 2 Sub-Health Centres were awarded NQAS certificates in Tamil Nadu.

A total of 64 hospitals were provided the LaQshya certification including 10 certificates to Government Medical College Hospital, 21 to District Headquarters Hospitals, 27 to Sub-health centres, 5 to Primary Health Centres and one to Urban Community Health Centre. As many as 16 hospitals were awarded MusQan for providing health services to children from birth to 12 years of age.

Health Minister said that 824 NQAS certificates, 111 LaQshya certificates and 16 MusQan have been obtained by the healthcare facilities since the beginning of the scheme. “A financial incentive is also provided to these healthcare facilities. The incentive amount is given to improve the medical infrastructure of those hospitals,” he added.