'NABH revises entry-level certification process by making it digital, user-friendly'

The National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) has revised the entry-level certification process by making it digital and user-friendly, the commerce and industry ministry said Thursday.

NABH is a constituent body of the Quality Council of India (QCI). It has been working to ensure reliability, efficiency and global accreditation in the Indian healthcare sector using contemporary methodologies and tools, standards of patient safety and infection control.

"The revised process is driven through a new portal - HOPE (Healthcare Organisations' Platform for Entry-Level-Certification) with a focus to promote quality at nascent stages by enrolling a wide range of hospitals across the country," it said in a statement.

The aim is to create a momentum for Health Care Organizations (HCOs) and Small Health Care Organisations (SHCOs) that want to avail benefits associated with the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) and the Ayushman Bharat by getting themselves NABH-certified.

The IRDAI has mandated hospitals to ensure a quality healthcare ecosystem through NABH entry-level certification process.

The ministry said HOPE is not just confined to certification of HCOs/SHCOs but also enables them to comply with quality protocols, improves patient safety and the overall healthcare facility.

To ensure an active participation of HCO/SHCOs in the process, various activities have been initiated such as nationwide awareness workshops, and call centre support to hospitals.