Karnataka Health Department sets targets and timelines for hospitals to implement National Quality Assurance Standards-OxBig News Network

Setting targets for implementing the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS), the State Health Department has directed heads of all government hospitals to achieve the expected targets within three months.

The NQAS is a comprehensive framework developed by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to improve the quality of healthcare services in public health facilities. These standards, applicable to various levels of healthcare (District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, Primary Health Centres and Urban Primary Health Centres) focus on areas like service provision, patient rights, inputs, support services, clinical care, infection control, quality management, and outcomes. The goal is to ensure consistent, high-quality healthcare delivery across the nation by providing a structured approach to quality improvement and assessment. 

An order issued by government of Karnataka on July 8 stated that all government healthcare facilities that fail to adhere to the deadline will be disqualified from the incentives provided under the Ayushman Bharat Arogya Karnataka (AB-ARK) scheme.

If the standards are not implemented even after six months, a remark will be recorded in the annual performance report of the medical, paramedical officers and staff of the hospitals, and action will be taken for their transfer, states the GO.

If there is no progress even after nine months, the annual salary increment of all the chief medical, paramedical officers and staff working in such health institutions will be withheld, the GO states.

According to the order, supervisors and staff of health centers that do not make any progress despite all these measures will be held responsible for poor quality care and treatment.