Pasighat hospital bags Kayakalp Award

FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT

Itagar, March 8: The General Hospital at Pasighat in East Siang district has bagged the ‘Kayakalp Award’ for adhering to standard protocols of cleanliness, hygiene and infection control practices in public health care facilities.

Chief Minister Kalikho Pul handed over a cheque of Rs 50 lakh as award money with a citation to the doctors of the hospital in a simple but impressive function here on Monday, an official report said here today.

Kayakalp was instituted in 2015 by the Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare under Swachh Bharat Mission to award those public health facilities that demonstrate high level of cleanliness, hygiene and infection control as a compliment to their efforts.

Out of 50 lakhs award money, 25 percent (Rs 12.50 lakh) would be distributed to the hospital staffs as cash incentives while the remaining amount would be utilised for improvement of the health delivery services in the hospital, the report said.

The award is distributed considering performance of the hospital on facility upkeep, sanitation and hygiene, waste magement, infection control, support services and hygiene promotion.

A committee had assessed the performance of the health institutions based on defined criteria and rate them. The hospital which achieve at least 70 per cent in the criteria during the peer assessment process, qualify for the award.

The awards for individual public health facility would be given to those that score the highest.

There would be three sub categories, Best District Hospitals, best Health Centre (CHC) Award (cash award of 15 lakh) and best Primary Health Centre (PHC) Award carrying a cash award of two lakh, the report said.

In order to motivate, sustain and improve performance in facilities that score over 70%, but do not make it to the list of top two/one in a particular year, a certificate of commendation along with cash award of three lakh for district hospital, one lakh for CHC and fifty thousand for PHC would be given.

Speaking on the occasion, the chief minister termed it a novel initiative of the Centre to encourage better health delivery system in hospitals according to the prescribed standards and specifications apart from maintaining cleanliness and infection control mechanism.

He announced an additiol Rs. 12.5 lakhs from the state government side as cash incentives to medical staff of Pasighat General Hospital as commendation. He appealed other district hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres of the state to emulate model of Pasighat general hospital’s health delivery and cleanliness system.

“Work with authority and responsibility” exhorted Pul.

He requested the commissioner, director of health services and maging director of state NHM to carry out mandatory calibration of instruments on a half yearly basis to check the accuracy of the testing instruments used by the medical practitioners.

He opined for providing training to in service doctors and technicians for the purpose in order to cut the cost of hiring or out-letting to outside parties.

He also hinted for constitution of strong monitoring and vigilance committee incorporating officers from all fields for maintaining transparency and accountability.

“This committee will be in addition to already existing third party monitoring system in place,” he added.

Pul also directed to issue orders to all the hospitals to follow the Desirable, Essential and Vital (DEV) model format of storing medicines in their respective hospitals. Besides, he also pitched to adopt the First Expiry First Out (FIFO) system for medicines.

Appreciating the complaint box system of Pasighat General Hospital, CM viewed that the grievances and suggestions of the general people and patients should be discussed by a committee and addressed at the earliest.

He directed for similar concept in all other hospitals across the state.  He also asked the administration to conduct surprise checks and inspections to ensure smooth and effective health delivery in the state, the report added.