The Hindu : National : Uniform guidelines draft for quality health care drawn up

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Apr 19, 2005

National

National

Uniform guidelines draft for quality health care drawn up

Ramya Kannan

CHENNAI: The draft of the Indian Public Health Standards (IPHS), the first-ever concerted effort by the Centre in evolving uniform guidelines to provide quality care in the secondary health set up in the country, has been drawn up.

The IPHS aims at providing optimal care in the secondary health level — community health centres (CHC) comprising first referral units and district hospitals. The aim is to maintain an acceptable standard of quality of care and make the services more responsive and sensitive to the needs of the community. It will be part and parcel of the National Rural Health Mission inaugurated by the Prime Minister early this month, according to the Union Minister of Health, Anbumani Ramadoss. The recommendations of Task Group 3, headed by S. P. Agarwal, Director-General of Health Services, prescribe the requirements for a minimum functional grade of a CHC — typically a 30-bedded hospital providing specialist care in medicine, obstetrics, gynaecology, surgery and paediatrics. The team has recommended that every CHC, to be located as close to the centre of the block headquarters, should have 30 indoor beds with one operation theatre, labour room, x-ray and lab facilities.

The task groups have focussed on service delivery, minimum requirements for delivering the services, facilities, human resource management, accountability and following standard operating procedures in all CHCs. Guidelines have also been provided for management of routine and emergency cases under the national health programmes.

All the National Health Programmes in areas where Tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, vector-borne diseases, leprosy, blindness and the Integrated Disease Surveillance Project occur are required to be delivered through the CHC and specific sets of procedures have been drawn up for the same, annexed to the basic IPHS document. Clarifications on blood storage facility, essential laboratory services, referral transportation and proper management and disposal of hospital wastes have also been provided. Social audit, by involving the community through consumer fora is being recommended. To maintain quality, external monitoring through Panchayati Raj institutions and internal monitoring at appropriate levels will be advocated.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National

News Update

Stories in this Section

Historic opportunity, substantive talks

A first in trade ties with Pakistan

No rigid time-frame but Kashmir cannot be discussed indefinitely: Musharraf

Paradigm shift in India-Pakistan ties, says Congress

"Sell-out by Musharraf"

Punjab's prosperity not linked to Bhakra, says study

Need for better deployment of plant diversity

Advani to Musharraf: take strong steps

Lacks credibility, says Swamy

Uniform guidelines draft for quality health care drawn up

IAF meet to discuss stagnation

J&K refers Panchayati Raj Bill to panel

Indian solution helps `pass along' music

Woman killed in grenade attack on dharmasala