National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS)

Recently, a total of 50,373 public health facilities across all States and Union Territories have been certified under the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS). This reflects significant progress in improving the quality of public healthcare delivery in India.

What are National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS)?

The National Quality Assurance Standards are a comprehensive quality framework established by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW). These standards aim to ensure, assess, and enhance the quality of healthcare services provided at public health facilities across the country.

Genesis and Evolution of NQAS

The NQAS programme was launched in 2015 with the certification of just 10 healthcare facilities. Initially, the focus was on District Hospitals, with the objective of ensuring safe, patient-centric, and quality-assured healthcare services. Over time, the scope of NQAS has expanded to cover multiple levels of public healthcare delivery.

Health Facilities Covered Under NQAS

At present, NQAS standards are applicable to a wide range of public health facilities, including District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, Ayushman Arogya Mandir–Primary Health Centres (AAM–PHCs), Ayushman Arogya Mandir–Urban Primary Health Centres (AAM–UPHCs), and Ayushman Arogya Mandir–Sub Health Centres.

Purpose of National Quality Assurance Standards

The primary purpose of NQAS is to enable healthcare providers to assess the quality of their own services using pre-defined standards. The framework encourages continuous quality improvement and helps public health facilities upgrade their systems to become eligible for quality certification.

Key Areas Covered Under NQAS

The National Quality Assurance Standards are broadly organised under eight Areas of Concern. These include Service Provision, Patient Rights, Inputs, Support Services, Clinical Care, Infection Control, Quality Management, and Outcomes. Together, these areas ensure a holistic assessment of healthcare quality, covering infrastructure, processes, and patient outcomes.