The Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has accorded National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification to District Hospital Gandhi Nagar in the State in recognition of the high standards of quality and performance maintained by the hospital. The facility has scored overall 93% and is meeting all criteria required for NQAS as communicated by Additional Secretary & Mission Director, Union MoH&FW, GoI in a letter addressed to the State Government.The empanelled external assessors’ certification team, which examined the facilities in the hospital and patient amenities from 22nd to 24th of July, 2019 has rated DH Gandhi Nagar as Quality Certified under NQAS when it comes to hospital hygiene and quality standards. District Hospital Gandhi Nagar shall receive a grant of Rs 20 lakh as part of the NQAS certification @ Rs 10,000 per bed. The certification will be for a period of three years, following which there will be re-inspection.Financial Commissioner Health & Medical Education Department Atal Dulloo and Mission Director NHM, J&K Bhupinder Kumar, have congratulated Dr. Sameer Mattoo, Director Health Services Jammu, Dr Chander Parkash, Medical Superintendent DH Gandhi Nagar, Dr Narinder Programme Manager (QA), NHM J&K and Staff of DH Gandhi Nagar for this achievement.Quality Certification program for public health facilities has been launched with aim of recognizing the good performing facilities as well improving credibility of public hospitals in community leading to Patient & Health Care Providers Satisfaction by following uniform & standard treatment protocols. Certification is provided against National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) on meeting pre-determined criteria. The assessment is carried out by highly qualified & empanelled assessors starting with facility, district, State & National Level and for certification; the facility has to score minimum of 70 percent at all the levels, Shri Bhupinder Kumar, Mission Director NHM, J&K, said in a statement here.He further said that State Govt. has initially shortlisted five District Hospitals for Quality Certification under NQAS, viz. DH Udhampur , DH Baramulla, DH Leh, Gandhi Nagar Hospital Jammu, and DH Anantnag. Out of these hospitals DH Udhampur has already become the first hospital to get its certification and now Govt. Hospital Gandhi Nagar Jammu has become second facility to get certified after inspection by external assessment team w.e.f. 22nd to 24th July 2019. Further, DH Baramulla has been State Certified whereas DH Leh is under the process of State Certification.According highest priority to quality in healthcare delivery, the State Govt. this year has undertaken to achieve NQAS certification for additional 10 health institutions comprising of 02 District Hospitals, 04 CHCs & 04 PHCs.