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Union Health and Family Welfare Minister JP Nadda on Thursday stressed the importance of patient safety, hygiene and quality healthcare while addressing an event organised at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Medical Sciences (ABVIMS) and Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Hospital on World Patient Safety Day 2026.
The theme for World Patient Safety Day 2026 is Safe care for noncommunicable diseases, with the slogan Safe care for life!, highlighting the need for safe, coordinated and continuous care for people living with noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). Addressing the gathering, Nadda said patient safety is an extremely important component of healthcare, and the objective of healthcare delivery must extend beyond treatment to ensuring that every patient receives safe, high-quality, dignified and patient-centric care. He emphasised that patient safety requires collective efforts from doctors, nurses, paramedical professionals, technicians, administrative personnel, patients and their attendants. He stressed the importance of correct diagnosis, appropriate treatment, adherence to infection-prevention protocols and continuous attention to infection control. Nadda also linked patient safety with cleanliness and hygiene in healthcare facilities, calling for collective responsibility towards hand hygiene, proper waste disposal and maintaining hospital premises responsibly. He said a clean hospital is not merely a well-maintained hospital but also a safer hospital. Highlighting institutional quality assurance, Nadda said the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification was introduced in 2015 to establish nationally recognised standards for assessing healthcare institutions. He said around 60,000 government health facilities are now NQAS-certified, and efforts are underway to expand the coverage further. The Union Minister also highlighted the role of Ayushman Bharat in providing financial protection and access to healthcare. He said eligible beneficiaries receive health coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for secondary and tertiary care. Approximately 11.5 crore beneficiaries have received treatment under the scheme, involving treatment worth around Rs 1.6 lakh crore, he said. Nadda further highlighted the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP), saying more than 20,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras have been established across the country to provide quality generic medicines at affordable prices. He also stressed the importance of preventive healthcare, early detection and continuity of care, including screening for diabetes, hypertension and various cancers. Speaking on the occasion, Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava said maintaining a clean hospital environment is essential for safe and quality care. She highlighted ABVIMS and Dr RML Hospital's NABH accreditation and stressed that cleanliness in hospitals requires active participation from healthcare workers, patients, visitors and attendants. She said the convergence of Swachhata Hi Seva and World Patient Safety Day provides an opportunity to reinforce collective responsibility towards hygiene, infection prevention and safe healthcare. (ANI)
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