Bhadrachalam Area Hospital’s paediatric wing gets MusQan quality certification

The pediatric wing of Government Area Hospital at Bhadrachalam in Kothagudem district received quality certification under MusQan programme, an initiative of National Health Mission

Kothagudem: In a significant achievement, the pediatric wing of Government Area Hospital at Bhadrachalam in Kothagudem district received quality certification under MusQan programme, an initiative of National Health Mission (NHM).

Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare joint secretary Vishal Chauhan has recently sent a letter to Telangana Health and Family Welfare secretary SAM Rizvi in this connection. Besides Government Area Hospital, Bhadrachalam CHC Ameerpet in Hyderabad has also received quality certification.

Speaking to Telangana Today, the Area Hospital resident medical officer (RMO) Dr. Y Rajashekhar Reddy informed that NHM’s National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) assessor’s team has visited the hospital on April 21 and 22 to assess the facilities and services at the hospital. The hospital met all quality criteria with an overall score of 83 percent.

He explained that MusQan aims to ensure quality child friendly services in government hospitals to reduce preventable newborn and child morbidity and mortality. It also encompasses all the key aspects of child growth and development.

Dr. Reddy who is also in-charge of MusQan at the hospital revealed that the Pediatric wing of Bhadrachalam Government Area Hospital is the only one in south India to get quality certification for all the four departments namely, Pediatric outpatient department, Pediatric ward, Special Newborn Care Unit (SNCU) and Nutritional Rehabilitation Center (NRC).

“It is a remarkable achievement given the fact that the Area Hospital is located in a remote agency area in the State and received national certification by meeting all quality criteria of NQAS. Each department will get an annual cash incentive of Rs 2 lakh (total Rs 8 lakh) for the next three years. The funds will be used to fill the gaps in the facility, if any”, he noted.

ITDA Project Officer Gautham Potru expressed pleasure at the Area Hospital getting national quality certification and appreciated the doctors and the staff. He urged them to continue to provide quality and caring treatment to residents in the agency villages.

It may be noted that Bhadrachalam Government Area Hospital has won the Kayakalp Award three times in 2016 (first prize), 2018 (second prize) and in 2023 (first prize) for its cleanliness, hygiene, waste management and infection control practices.