Bengal leads behind Maharashtra, Gujarat in health services

National and state certification against National Quality Assurance Standards for Public Health Services was introduced in 2015.

New Delhi: Ahead Bengal. Forward State Health Services. According to a recently released all-India report, West Bengal has topped all other populous states in the country in terms of national quality assurance in public health services. Most of these (at the time of reporting) are BJP-ruled states. While the opposition is questioning the state's overall health services over the recent rape and murder of a young woman doctor at Kolkata's RG Kar Hospital, a report by the National Health System Resource Center says otherwise. As the number of medical facilities here is high, and the number of National Quality Assurance Standard (NCAQ) certified institutions.

According to recent reports, the total number of District Hospitals, State District Hospitals, Community Health Centers, Primary Health Centers, Urban Primary Health Centers in West Bengal is 12,859 (as on 31 March 2024 in Human Development Index 2023 and Ayushman Arogya Mandir portal). Out of these 3039 institutions are National Quality Assurance certified. Which is 23.63 percent. Bengal was preceded by two Union Territories – Daman-Diu and Nagar Haveli and Chandigarh. The number of District Hospital, State District Hospital, Community Health Center, Primary Health Center, Urban Primary Health Center in those two Union Territories are 101 and 55 respectively. Among them, 91 (90.10 percent) and 14 (25.45 percent) are NCAQ certified institutions respectively. Meanwhile, Bengal is followed by BJP-ruled Madhya Pradesh (5), Gujarat (6), Assam (8), Haryana (10), Karnataka (13), Goa (15) and Tripura (18).

Incidentally, national and state certification against National Quality Assurance Standards for Public Health Services was introduced in 2015, with the objective of recognizing good services and improving the credibility of public health services. Eight topics related to health care – type of service, patient rights, information, support services, clinical care, infection control, quality management and outcomes etc. During the long tenure of previous governments in the state, there was no improvement in health services in villages and rural areas. People had to rush to the big hospitals in the city. But after Mamata Bannerjee became Chief Minister in 2011, her government has developed District Hospitals, State District Hospitals, Community Health Centers, Primary Health Centers, Urban Primary Health Centers all over the state. People are getting good service. And its recognition is National Quality Assurance Standard (NQAS) certificate.