Cash award to clean public health facilities

V NAVEEN KUMAR
Hyderabad: The Union government has announced awards
scheme KAYAKALP (Transformation) is for clean hospitals is
intended to inculcate quality practices, including cleanliness
and hygiene, as key contributors to patient safety and
outcomes and recognize such efforts. The awards scheme is a
companion initiative to these guidelines. Winning the Awards is
important for recognition and motivation but using the
opportunity to set in place systems to strive to win is equally
important.
According to an official, Swachh Hospitals (Clean Hospitals) is
an initiative by the Ministry of Health and Family welfare to
accomplish the vision of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India
Mission), a National Campaign by Union government to
accomplish the vision of a Clean India by 2 nd October 2019,
the 150th birthday of Mahatma Gandhi. The biggest
beneficiaries in this endeavour are the Public Health facilities
and it is an opportunity to strive for Swachh Hospitals, and
Swatsth Hospitals, the official added.
Implementing the Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan in hospitals to
ensure the highest standards of cleanliness in the facility and to
educate the public about the personal responsibility for
cleanliness in the spaces they occupy, which in turn will
inculcate the culture of community cleanliness. These practices
are intrinsically linked to prevent patients, staff and visitors
acquiring healthcare-associated infections (HAI).
Guidelines are not a stand-alone document but are the
the spectrum of policies and protocols envisaged
National Quality Assurance Framework and detailed
operational guidelines for quality assurance in public
facilities.

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Funding for this effort would be made available through the

National Health Mission. States could seek supplementary

funding for this endeavour

Implementation Plan (PIP).

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For 2015-16 year the award for District Hospitals only would be
taken up. In subsequent years Community Health Centres and
Primary Health Centres s are to be taken up. 75 per cent of the
cash award amount will go to the HDSs for investments in
improving the amenities, upkeep and services, while 25 per
cent of the cash award will be given to the facility teams as a
team incentive.
States will embark on this campaign and prepare to
institutionalize the process for cleanliness and Constitute State
and District Level Award Nomination Committees through
notification, said the official.
Hospital Development Society (HDS) would play a pivotal role in
implementation of guidelines by mobilizing community,
resources and supervising the implementation of these
guidelines.