Union Health Minister JP Nadda will launch a new dashboard on Friday to help health facilities across the country monitor how well they meet healthcare standards. Officials announced that this dashboard aims to ensure that all public health facilities maintain high-quality care.
The Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS) guidelines, which were first introduced in 2007 and updated in 2022, set quality benchmarks for healthcare from primary to secondary levels. These guidelines ensure that healthcare services are consistent, accessible, and accountable across the nation. Public health institutions are encouraged to assess themselves and work towards closing any gaps in their services.
In addition to the dashboard, two other initiatives will also be launched by Minister Nadda on Friday:
1. Virtual NQAS Assessment for Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAM) Sub-centres: This system will allow virtual assessments of health sub-centres, which will then receive the NQAS (National Quality Assurance Standards) certificate.
2. New Functionality in FoSCoS: The Food Safety and Compliance System (FoSCoS) will have a new feature for the instant issuance of licenses and registrations. FoSCoS is an advanced IT platform that addresses food safety regulatory needs across India.
These initiatives are seen as innovative steps in improving the quality assurance framework for public health facilities. They are expected to save time and reduce costs.
The NQAS certificate for Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHL) located at district hospitals will also be released during the event. These standards aim to improve the quality and management of testing systems in these labs, which will positively impact the reliability of test results and help gain the trust of clinicians, patients, and the public.
Revised guidelines for the Kayakalp program will also be released on Friday. Kayakalp is an initiative that encourages public health facilities to maintain cleanliness and enhance the quality of services.
“A ground-breaking new functionality for the instant issuance of licenses and registrations through the Food Safety and Compliance System (FoSCoS) will also be launched. FoSCoS is a state-of-the-art, Pan-India IT platform designed to address all food safety regulatory needs,” the statement said.
“This innovative system simplifies the licensing and registration processes, offering an enhanced user experience,” the statement added.