Independent accreditation for hospitals stressed

Urging for a robust healthcare system in the country, M S Valiathan, a well-known cardiac surgeon and recipient of Padma Vibhushan, India’s second highest civilian honour, on Wednesday, said an independent accreditation body was the need of the hour.

“The National Council for Quality Assurance, which will be an autonomous body, will accredit hospitals akin to how hotels are rated. The hospitals now merely advertise without ever mentioning the success rate of operations,” he said.

Speaking at the 4th International Conference on ‘Opportunities and Challenges of Doing Business in India,’ organised by IFIM Business School, Valiathan said primary and community healthcare sectors should be revived and strengthened, as more than 80 per cent of health issues can be resolved at these levels.

On Public Private Partnership (PPP) in the medical sector, Valiathan said the government should allow private players, as its expenditure on health has been on the decline in the past years.

However, encouraging more private players in the health sector should not be equated with expensive hospitals, as the government would fix rates for all accredited hospitals, he noted.

Noting that lack of innovation and inefficient management were the biggest problems plaguing the healthcare sector in the nation, Valiathan emphasised the role of management institutions in addressing the gap.

The two-day conference will focus on issues ranging from management in service sector to medical tourism.