A team of the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS), which is on an inspection of the primary health centres (PHCs) in Chittoor district, has asked the medical officers to focus on improving the medical and laboratory facilities for the benefit of the poor.
The team led by Dr. Preeti Madan from New Delhi and Dr. Rajeswar Debadwar from Madhya Pradesh visited the PHCs in the Chittoor division during the last one week.
Speaking to the media after inspecting the PHC at Narayanavanam, the team members said that 49 PHCs in Chittoor district had been inspected by the NQAS teams this year.
“During our visits to the PHCs all over India, we found for the first time the advanced equipment such as CBC (complete blood count) and auto-analyser machines in Narayanavanam PHC. The equipments were procured with the help of donors,” said Dr. Preeti Madan.
The team members said that the Narayanavanam PHC was regularly organising the Diabetes Day every week, besides public awareness camps and door-to-door survey on communicable and non-communicable diseases.
“With the NQAS certification, the PHCs can get special funds and incentives to the tune of ₹4 lakh annually. We have sought the medical officers to adhere to all the public health indicators and bridge the gaps, if any, to access the NQAS certification,” said Dr. Rajeswar Debadwar.
COVID management
Deputy District Medical and Health Officer P. Ravi Raju informed the NQAS team that during the coronavirus pandemic, several PHCs in the rural areas were provided with oxygen cylinders and concentrators through donations to attend to the patients before triaging. He said more donors would be roped in to provide advanced laboratory equipment to the PHCs.
