403 Healthcare Certifications Issued in Tamil Nadu, Government Seeks Improvement through Incentives

Chennai, Dec 18 : The Union Health Ministry has awarded 403 quality certifications to healthcare facilities across Tamil Nadu, including National Quality Assurance Scheme (NQAS), Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative (LaQshya) and MusQan recognitions.

Union Health Minister Ma Subramanian handed over the certificates to healthcare workers at the Tamil Nadu Dr MGR Medical University on Tuesday. The NQAS award is given to facilities that deliver quality treatment and medical care, while LaQshya recognition focuses on providing high-quality care during labor and delivery, particularly in maternity wards. MusQan aims to improve child-friendly services in public health facilities.

According to the Ministry, at least 66 NQAS certifications were awarded for hospitals and health centers across eight district headquarters, with an additional 206 Primary Health Centers receiving recognition. Fifty-three Health Centers also received recognition under this scheme.

In related news, a total of 21 NQAS certificates were awarded to District Headquarters Hospitals, while 10 certificates were given to Government Medical College Hospital. LaQshya certification was provided to 64 hospitals and sub-health centers in Tamil Nadu, marking significant improvements in quality care during labor delivery period.

Meanwhile, a total of 16 MusQan certifications have been issued for healthcare facilities catering to children up to the age of 12 years old. This marks significant progress towards reducing preventable newborn and child mortality rate in Tamil Nadu.

The Minister stated that since the inception of these schemes, 824 NQAS certificates, 111 LaQshya certificates and 16 MusQan have been obtained by healthcare facilities across Tamil Nadu. "In addition to recognition, financial incentives are provided to improve infrastructure standards," said Ma Subramanian.