LaQshya certification for two PMC hospitals, activists claim achievement only on paper
Health activists and residents claim the LaQshya certification has been received only on paper and these hospitals still lack proper facilities
The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) run —Kamla Nehru Hospital and Late Chandumama Sonawane Hospital has received LaQshya certification from the ministry of health and family welfare for maintaining the quality of the labour room and maternity operation theatre. However, health activists and residents claim the LaQshya certification has been received only on paper and these hospitals still lack proper facilities.
LaQshya is a labour room quality improvement initiative launched by the union health ministry in 2017 under which community health centres, medical colleges and other government health facilities for maternity services are certified. Under the programme, the labour room and maternity operation theatre are assessed through National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) and each facility achieving a 70 per cent score is certified as a LaQshya-certified facility.
Health facilities with a score of more than 90 per cent get a platinum badge, a gold badge for scoring more than 80 per cent and a silver badge for a score of more than 70 per cent. Facilities with NQAS certification, defined quality indicators and 80% satisfied beneficiaries are provided incentives.
Dr Vaishali Jadhav, assistant health officer of PMC, informed that both hospitals received the LaQshya certification after the third part assessment as per the NQAS.
“The labour rooms at both facilities received over 90 per cent and got platinum badges and operation theatres at both hospitals received gold badges for scoring more than 80 per cent,” she said.
Dr Jadhav said the assessment of the hospital was done initially by PMC, later a team from the state government conducted the assessment and a few recommendations were suggested which we implemented.
“The central team conducted the assessment in the last week of March (2023) and we met all the criteria. The certification aims to reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality and improve quality care during delivery and the immediate postpartum period,” she said.
Dr Abhijit More, health activist, said the Kamla Nehru Hospital despite being equipped to handle C-section delivery has a huge number of cases being referred to other facilities for deliveries.
“When it comes to the other Sonwane hospital, they too have delivery cases been referred to other hospitals. Most of these cases are referred under the name of complex or complicated deliveries. PMC doesn’t have a single facility with an intensive care unit ( ICU) backup for the complicated delivery cases,” he said.
Dr More, further, informed that the hygiene at the hospitals is always compromised and the behaviour of the staff with the patients is always rude.
Another health activist Sharad Shetty claimed PMC has always been good at eye wash and this assessment was planned in advance, one would understand the actual grass root reality if they conduct surprise visits at the facilities.
“The civic body has just made the arrangement for the programme and after which no one cares about the patients. The patients visiting the facility are far away from what is called quality care treatment; there is hardly a positive birthing experience for the mothers,” he said.
Kajal Pawar, a city resident, said, at Kamla Nehru when a patient goes for delivery if she gets admitted they refer her to Sassoon Hospital. Due to this, patients prefer to go to Sassoon Hospital directly to avoid wastage of time.
“Only people with reference get admission at Kamla Nehru. The washroom, the wards, bed linen, nothing is hygienic,” she said.