Government Fortifies District Hospitals to Enhance Healthcare Services

Efforts to Enhance Performance and Quality of Services in District Hospitals

In a resolute commitment to bolster healthcare services, the government, under the National Health Mission (NHM), has undertaken concerted efforts to strengthen district hospitals across the nation. The focus is on enhancing performance, ensuring quality services, and fortifying the infrastructure of healthcare facilities. Several key initiatives contribute to this ongoing endeavor:

1. Infrastructure Strengthening: Initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat-Health and Wellness Centres (now Ayushman Arogya Mandir), Emergency COVID Response Packages (ECRP) I & II, 15th Finance Commission, and the Prime Minister’s Ayushman Bharat Health Infrastructure Mission (PM-ABHIM) are instrumental in fortifying the infrastructure of healthcare facilities beyond NHM.
2. Capacity Development: Ongoing efforts aim to develop the capacities of district hospitals as training sites for nurses, Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs), paramedics, and providing Diplomate National Board (DNB)/CPS courses for medical officers (MOs).
3. Patient Feedback System: The government has integrated “Mera Aspataal,” a patient feedback system in District Hospitals (DH), promoting patient-centric services. National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification is actively implemented across public health facilities to ensure safe and quality healthcare services.
4. Strengthening HMIS: Recognizing that the evaluation of DH’s performance depends on the integrity of data recording and reporting systems, efforts are underway to strengthen the Health Management and Information System (HMIS).
5. Free Drugs and Diagnostics Initiative: To ensure the availability of essential drugs and diagnostic tests and reduce Out of Pocket Expenditure (OOPE) for patients visiting public health facilities, the government has introduced the Free Drugs Service Initiative and Free Diagnostics Initiative under NHM.
6. Tele-consultation Platforms: Accessibility to specialist care has been enhanced through tele-consultation platforms like e-Sanjeevani, providing remote medical consultations.
7. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): HMIS data is used to assess the performance of District Hospitals. A set of 17 Key Performance Indicators covering the domains of Structure, Process, Output, and Outcome has been finalized jointly by NITI Aayog & MoHFW.
8. Data Validation: For the second round of assessment, data validation of HMIS-reported data against corresponding physical records will be conducted for about 10% of the total District Hospitals.

Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, Dr. Bharati Pravin Pawar, reiterated these initiatives in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, underscoring the government’s unwavering commitment to fortify district hospitals and enhance healthcare services.