A total of 12 government hospitals in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts have been nominated for National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification from the Centre.
The NQAS certification is given after verifying the quality in eight categories - service provision, patient rights, input, supportive services, clinical services, infection control, quality management and outcome.
The nominated hospitals are 10 departments of District Wenlock Hospital, six departments of Lady Goschen Hospital, Community Health Centres in Mulki and Moodbidri, Primary Health Centres in Shirthadi and Naravi, and Urban Health Centre at Jeppu in Dakshina Kannada district. In Udupi, District Hospital, Women and Child Hospital and PHCs at Shankaranarayana, Brahmavar and Kota have been nominated.
The certification helps to instill confidence in the public on the services provided in government hospitals.
The nomination process was carried out at state level by considering the criteria of quality service, infection control, maintenance of documents and others, said sources in the health department.
In 2019-20, a state-level team had nominated two PHCs in Dakshina Kannada and one in Udupi for the NQAS certification. Now, National Health System and Resource Centre is making final preparations for the verification.
In 2018-19, the NQAS certification was received by Wenlock Hospital’s five departments, including Blood Bank and ICU.
A total of 44 government health centres in Karnataka had availed the certification in 2018-19. In the past, 11 hospitals were selected for state-level certification. The certification is valid for three years, sources said.
After the district-level and state-level scrutiny, experts from the NQAS will inspect the nominated hospitals for the certification, officials said.