NQAS-Certified hospitals rise to 240: Kerala Health Minister

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s public healthcare system has received a significant boost with seven more health institutions securing the prestigious National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification, Health Minister Veena George announced on Friday. With this latest addition, the total number of NQAS-accredited health facilities in Kerala has risen to 240 — the highest in the country.

Among the newly certified facilities, Begur Family Health Centre in Wayanad achieved the highest score with an impressive 98.79%, followed by Koppam Community Health Centre in Palakkad at 97.63%, and Perumanna Family Health Centre in Kozhikode at 95.08%. Other centres to receive the certification include Chaliyar FHC (94.47%), Kunnamangalam FHC (90.75%) in Kozhikode, Chattanchal FHC (86.88%), and Panathur FHC (85.88%) in Kasaragod.

Also Read: 93 hospitals receive NQAS certification in Uttar Pradesh

With the latest additions, Kerala now has a total of 240 health institutions accredited under the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS). These include seven district hospitals, five taluk hospitals, 12 community health centres, 46 urban family health centres, 160 family health centres, and 10 Janakeeya health centres.

In addition to NQAS, 14 hospitals in the state have earned the Lakshya certification, a national standard for quality maternal healthcare, while five hospitals have received the Muskan certification, awarded for providing child-friendly health services.

The NQAS certification is valid for three years, after which a national-level reassessment is conducted. Additionally, annual inspections by state-level teams ensure that certified institutions continue to meet the required benchmarks.

To maintain and improve service standards, the government provides financial assistance to accredited institutions:

• Rs 2 lakh annually for each Family and Urban Family Health Centre

• Rs 18,000 per service package for Janakeeya Health Centres

• Rs 10,000 per hospital bed per year for other certified hospitals

Also Read:8 Mizoram Govt Health facilities receive NQAS Certification

Speaking to TOI, the minister said that these recognitions reflect the state's focused efforts to improve primary healthcare delivery and maintain high standards across all levels of the public health system.