Awards

Kerala's healthcare system continues to excel, with five more hospitals receiving the  National Quality Assurance Standard (NQAS) accreditation. This brings the total number of NQAS-accredited hospitals in the state to 177, including 81 re-accredited facilities.Kollam Shaktikulangara Family Health Center is the newest addition to the list, achieving an impressive 96% score. Other re-accredited hospitals include Kannur Pattiyam Family Health Center (97%), Ernakulam Vazhakulam Family Health Center (93%), Thrissur Thalikulam Family Health Center (91%), and Malappuram Iravimangalam City Family Health Center (90%).

The NQAS evaluation process involved assessing around 6,500 checkpoints across eight categories, including patient services, medicine availability and distribution, clinical services, infectious disease prevention, maternal and child health, lifestyle disease control, immunization, and other services. The quality standards of these hospitals are ensured through inspections conducted at the district, state, and national levels. To receive accreditation, institutions must achieve more than 70 percent marks in each category, and the accreditation is valid for three years before a re-evaluation is required.

NQAS-accredited Primary Health Centers (PHCs) will receive an annual incentive of Rs 2 lakh each, while other hospitals will earn Rs 10,000 per bed. This financial reward recognizes their commitment to providing high-quality healthcare services.The consistent achievement of NQAS accreditation by Kerala hospitals highlights the state government's dedication to improving healthcare standards and ensuring that citizens have access to quality medical care.