Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao, Minister of State (MoS) Independent charge (IC), and Anupriya Singh Patel, MoS, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), unveiled 3 initiatives namely, virtual National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) assessment for Ayushman Arogya Mandirs (AAMs); a dashboard for monitoring compliance with the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS); and spot food license and registration initiatives for food vendors.
- These initiatives were launched at the ‘Ayushman Bharat Health’ event in Delhi to build a robust and quality healthcare infrastructure by 2047, in accordance with the Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Viswas’.
Key Highlights:
i.NQAS for the Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHL) was also released during the event to improve the quality and competence of management and testing systems in IPHLs.
- This enhanced quality will positively impact the reliability of test results.
ii.Revised guidelines for the Kayakalp initiative were also released.
- Kayakalp initiative was launched by the MoH&FW in 2015 to complement existing efforts in improving healthcare facilities.
- “Guidelines for Implementing Kayakalp” have been developed as an implementation tool and are meant for secondary care public hospitals meeting the IPHS guidelines.
Purpose of the Launches:
i.The launch of the spot food licence initiative is a new functionality for the instant issuance of licenses and registrations through the Food Safety and Compliance System (FoSCoS). It will enhance the ease of doing business in India.
ii.The launch of the virtual NQAS assessment, and dashboard, and the release of the 2 documents will provide improved quality healthcare in public health facilities.
Virtual Assessment for AAM:
i.During the event, the Ministers conferred the virtually assessed health Ayushman Arogya Mandir – Sub Centre (AAM-SC) with the NQAS certificate.
- The virtual certification of the AAM-SC marks a significant advancement in public health quality assurance.
ii.The AAM initiated under the Ayushman Bharat scheme has been established and operationalised to provide comprehensive, accessible healthcare services for all citizens.
iii.To ensure that, NQAS were developed for District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, Rural and Urban Primary Healthcare Centres, and AAM-SCs, aiming for full compliance by 2026.
Note : Currently, more than 170,000 Ayushman Arogya Mandirs are operational nationwide.
IPHS Compliance Dashboard:
i.The IPHS Compliance Dashboard is a new digital platform for real-time monitoring of public health facilities in India.
ii.It provides a comprehensive overview of the assessment and compliance status of public health facilities, including District Hospitals, Sub-District Hospitals, etc.
iii.With this digital tool, the MoH&FW aims to ensure compliance with the IPHS 2022 guidelines across various levels of healthcare facilities.
iv.The dashboard uses the Open Data Kit (ODK) tool for real-time data collection and analysis.
- It ensures health facilities meet required standards of infrastructure, equipment, and human resources.
Integrated Public Health Laboratories (IPHL):
i.IPHL was established by the MoH&FW, under the Prime Minister-Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) aimed to strengthen laboratory systems and ensure accessible, efficient, and high-quality diagnostic services.
ii.NQAS for IPHLs has been developed to ensure consistent, precise, and safe laboratory testing processes.
- These standards aim to provide quality services, demonstrate competency, and maintain and improve quality standards.
Food Safety and Compliance System (FoSCoS):
i.FoSCoS is a state-of-the-art, Pan-India Information Technology (IT) platform designed to address all food safety regulatory needs across India, simplifying licensing and registration processes.
- It facilitates self-compliance via online return filings, hygiene ratings, and third-party audits.
ii.This new provision supplements the existing procedures for applying and obtaining licenses and registrations as prescribed under the Food Safety and Standards (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulation, 2011.
iii.Currently, obtaining an FSSAI license can take 30 to 60 days from the date of submission of a complete application. For a license, it typically takes 60 days, while registration takes 7 days if no inspection is required and up to 30 days if an inspection is needed.
Recent related News:
The MoH&FW launched a National Action Plan for Prevention and Control of Snakebite Envenoming (NAP-SE) during a ceremony in New Delhi, Delhi envisaging a reduction in snakebite deaths by half by 2030.
About the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW):
Union Minister– J.P. Nadda (Rajya Sabha, Gujarat)
MoS (Independent Charge)- Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao (Buldhana, Maharashtra)
MoS– Anupriya Singh Patel (Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh(UP))
