NQAS and Virtual Certification
Context:
The Health and Family Welfare Ministry has instructed all states and Union Territories to uphold the credibility of virtual assessments for National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification. NQAS certification is tied to the release of funds under the National Health Mission (NHM).
NQAS Certification Overview
- NQAS is a set of standards to assess and certify the quality of public health facilities in India.
- Currently, only about 10% of NQAS-certified facilities via virtual assessments undergo physical verification.
The National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) is a comprehensive framework established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). Initially applied to District Hospitals, the standards have now been extended to Sub-District Hospitals (SDH), Community Health Centers (CHCs), Ayushman Arogya Mandir – Urban Primary Health Centers (AAM-UPHC), Ayushman Arogya Mandir – Primary Health Centers (AAM-PHC), and Ayushman Arogya Mandir Sub-Centers (AAM-SHCs).
Key Directives for Virtual Assessments
- CQSC Criteria: Facilities must meet the Central Quality Supervisory Committee-approved (CQSC) criteria to be eligible for virtual assessment.
- Onsite Physical Verification: As per the new protocol, 10% of the facilities certified through virtual mode will undergo physical verification onsite.
- Exclusion for Deferred Facilities: Healthcare facilities that fail national-level assessments (deferred facilities) are not eligible for virtual certification and will be assessed in person.
- Facilities that meet quality standards can apply for recertification in virtual mode.
Goals and Expected Impact
- Enhanced Quality Assurance: The goal of these measures is to ensure stricter adherence to quality standards for public healthcare services.
- Equitable Healthcare: By improving the quality and accessibility of healthcare facilities, especially in rural areas, these measures aim to provide equitable healthcare across the country.
- Increased Footfall: Quality certification is expected to increase patient footfall in public hospitals, ensuring greater accessibility to medical services.
