Report by Badal Tah; Rayagada : Urban PHC at Rayagada town has been recognised as National Quality Assurance Standards(NQAS) hospital by National Health Systems Resource Centre(NHSRC), a Technical Support Institute with National Health Mission(NHM), Govt of India. Four UPHSCs in Odisha have been elevated to this position out of which Rayagada UPHC is one. The UPHC has shown the way under the leadership of its ex-CDM & PHO Dr Artabandhu Nayak. The initiatives taken by him to sustain the minimum quality standards has been accelerated by the present CDM & PHO Dr Lalmohan Routray and a very competent health team being guided by him.
A Govt of India team made a stringent assessment of the UPHC Rayagada on 7th February after which certification was done by NQAS, Govt of India. This is certainly one feather in the cap of the District Health System of Rayagada. NQAS sets 12 indicators as qualitative services to urban poor like quality OPD, maternal health, newborn health, family planning, communicable disease, Non-Communicable diseases, Laboratory, pharmacy, physiotherapy, specialist, dentist, outreach services & wellness activities
NQAS have been developed keeping in the specific requirements for public health facilities as well global best practices. NQAS are currently available for District Hospitals, CHCs, PHCs and Urban PHCs. Standards are primarily meant for providers to assess their own quality for improvement through pre defined standards and to bring up their facilities for certification. The National Quality Assurance Standards are broadly arranged under 8 “Areas of Concern”– Service Provision, Patient Rights, Inputs, Support Services, Clinical Care, Infection Control, Quality Management and Outcome. These standards are ISQUA(International Society for Quality in Health Care), a member-based, not-for-profit community and organisation dedicated to promoting quality improvement in health care, accredited and meets global benchmarks in terms of comprehensiveness, objectivity, evidence and rigour of development.
Earlier during 2019 also the District Headquarters Hospital(DHH), Rayagada received “Kayakalpa Award” from Family and Health Welfdare Deptt, GOI. This was the only DHH to be awarded in entire Odisha. The award was given based on the performance of the facility on these parameters- sanitation and hygiene, infection control, hospital upkeep, waste management, community participation & assessment was done sequentially through a three tier system–internal assessment followed by peer assessment and then external assessment.
National Certification for ‘LaQshya’ (Labour Room Quality Improvement Initiative) during 2021 was accorded to DHH, Rayagada. The Labour Room & Maternity Operation Theatre in DHH-Rayagada are now certified upto August-2022. Similarly PHC, K.Maligaon became winner for Kayakalp award whereas CHC Bissam Cuttack, CHC, Gudari & PHCs in Sikarpai, Rekhapadar, Rugudubai, Ukamba & Kerada got commendation. LaQshya was launched with the objective of reduction in the maternal and newborn mortality & morbidity due to occurrence of complication during and immediately after delivery, to improve Quality of Care during the delivery and immediate post-partum care, stabilization of complications and ensure timely referrals, and enable an effective two-way follow-up system to enhance satisfaction of beneficiaries visiting the health facilities and provide Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) to all pregnant women attending the public health facility. It is programmed to benefit every pregnant woman and newborn delivering in public health institutions.
In the mean time, Rayagada district has become Corona free. Last one week the infection is in a zero continuum. This could be possible with concerted effort of district administration under the leadership of Collector Sri Saroj Kumar Mishra & SP Sri Vivekananda Sharma.
“In the context of such initiatives, awards and accolades, it is high time that Rayagada must get its due. The DHH, Rayagada should get metamorphosed into a medical college and super-speciality hospital”, said Sri Rasmi Ranjan Dora, a senior scribe of the district.
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