National quality standard healthcare in Rajasthan

Context:

• As many as 100 primary and community health centres in Rajasthan will start rendering healthcare services as per the national quality assurance standards following a memorandum of understanding signed between the National Health Mission (NHM) and a technical partner institution.
• The MoU will especially make the healthcare accessible to underserved population.

Key Points:

• Rajasthan Medical & Health Minister has said that the MoU would ensure optimum utilisation of resources available at the health centres and improve the quality of essential services.
• The MoU was signed between NHM-Rajasthan and WISH Foundation at Swasthya Bhawan here.
• The formal partnership will bring together the infrastructure and reach of the government healthcare system with the implementation experience of private institutions.
• A direct implementation model is already operative in the State to transform the under-performing and low-performing primary health centres.
• The health centres covered in the MoU included those functioning in the remote, rural and tribal areas with difficult terrains, high levels of poverty and poor health indicators.
• The parameters in the quality assurance programmes evolved by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare require improvements and innovations in the healthcare services.
• Skilled monitors will inspect the health centres at different levels and give marks for each service.
• Each of the winning institutions would get a certificate valid for three years as well as financial assistance as an incentive.
• The MoU is also expected to set in motion the processes which will ensure long-term success of health centres through monitoring, evaluation and cost reductions.