Virtual evaluation of medical units to enhance health services in UP

The Yogi Adityanath government in Uttar Pradesh is planning to implement virtual evaluations for the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, which envisages providing comprehensive primary health care services to remote and peripheral areas.

Previously, the NQAS team conducted time-consuming physical verifications of these health units.

With this new approach, the number of NQAS-certified Ayushman Arogya Mandirs is expected to increase rapidly. This initiative is anticipated to significantly improve the quality of health services, providing better healthcare to the public in a more efficient manner.

The number of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in India has surpassed 1.70 lakh, with over 17,000 located in Uttar Pradesh. In a significant move to improve healthcare services, the Union Health Ministry has recently launched 'Ayushman Bharat, Quality Health.'

Revised guidelines have been issued for NQAS and Kayakalp certification for integrated public health laboratories.

The primary aim of introducing virtual assessments and a dashboard for the NQAS certification of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs is to enhance public access to healthcare and ensure the delivery of quality health services. During virtual visits, there will be opportunities for interactions with patients, staff, and community members.

Pinky Jowel, Mission Director of the National Health Mission, has issued a letter to all District Magistrates, Additional Directors, and CMOs of the state regarding this new initiative. The letter mandates that each district must conduct virtual evaluations of 10 to 20 medical units every month.

This initiative will also enable the evaluation of Ayushman Arogya Mandirs in remote areas, ensuring comprehensive healthcare improvement across the state.

Nishant Kumar Jaiswal, General Manager of the National Health Mission, informed that 275 medical units in the state have received NQAS certification so far. These include 56 district-level units, 42 community health centres, and 24 primary health centres. Efforts are being made to bring an equal number of units under this certification in the next three months.

He mentioned that the Central government only provides this certification to health units that treat and care for patients according to standards. Health units that are NQAS certified will have enhanced facilities for local residents.

He further said that the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC), which provides the NQAS certificates, has recently received international ISQua EEA accreditation. This means that NQAS is not only an international standard certification but that NHSRC is also a body that complies with international standards.