Indian Medical Association – Hospital Board of India (IM - HBI) has taken up the initiative to improve the quality standards of small and medium hospitals in India by providing accessibility of National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) accreditation under IMA – NABH initiative. IMA has decided to facilitate NABH accreditation to hospitals and small healthcare organisations at all levels through IMA - NABH initiative.

Dr Ravi Wankhedkar, national president of IMA - HBI says, “IMA – NABH initiative is a step to improve the quality standards of small and medium hospitals for patients care and safety as well as to have the uniformity in quality standard of the hospitals. First six months we will be promoting the value added benefits of NABH accreditation to all our members having hospitals.”

He further adds, “Unfortunately, there are only 256 NABH accredited hospitals across India. The main purpose of this initiative is to make our members aware of the importance and benefits of the NABH accreditation and help them in getting the accreditation. So, we have taken the mission to sensitize the work towards promoting and helping small and medium hospitals in getting accreditation. Recently we have also conducted workshop to spread the awareness in many places of Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra.”

IN the recent meeting IMA national president explained the benefits of NABH accreditation and said the NABH accreditation will add value to the small and medium hospitals as well as protect them from Clinical Establishment Act.

IMA – NABH initiative is the flagship programme and legacy of IMA 2015 under the leadership of national president, Dr A Marthanda Pillai and HSG Dr K K Aggarwal. IMA HBI is implementing the project with the objective to assist hospitals to achieve international standards in patient care and safety, to increase the viability of small and medium hospitals by value addition, to assist hospitals to countenance CEA, to provide hospitals an affordable access to accreditation.

According to NABH's definition small healthcare organisations are those which have less than 50 beds. Lack of knowledge, poor insurance coverage and other challenges are the road blocks for enhancing the quality of care to obtain the accreditation.

NABH has also developed pre-accreditation entry level standards, in consultation with various stakeholders in the country, as a stepping-stone for enhancing the quality of patient care and safety. Certification standards is divided into 10 chapters, which have been further divided into 41 standards. Put together there are 149 objective elements incorporated within these standards which are almost one-fourth of the full accreditation standards.