QCI signs MoU with ACHS for healthcare accreditation

New Delhi, July 31 (UNI) The Quality council of India (QCI) and National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH) has announced signing of Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) to further strengthen the progress of healthcare accreditation in India.

The agreement would review, support and update the Indian accreditation standards, train the assessors, planning and implementation of accreditation of the accreditation process, and joint participation in assessments.

Australian Council on Healthcare Standards International (ASCHI) will assist and advise QCI/NABH on the requirements for achieving approval of international society for quality in healthcare for both its standards and accreditation programme.

''Our population of over 106 million is exposed to quality of healthcare delivery and safety. Since accreditation is the need of the health industry, collaboration with the ACHS is intended to speed up the time lost,'' QCI Secretary General Girdhar Gyani said.

As per the agreement, the Australian accreditation standards will be the recognised accreditation programme in India and it will be represented in India by ACHSI.

The MoU envisages establishing joint working committee to explore how a system of joint assessing and surveying of the healthcare organisations in India by ACHS or NABH could be implemented.

QCI will roll awareness programme across all metros in the months to come. It is already discussing with many state governments, corporate houses, government and private players to implement the accreditations.

Quality Council of India is an autonomous body set up by Government of India to establish and operate national accreditation structure for conformity assessment while NABH, a constituent board of Quality council of India, establishes and operates accreditation programme for healthcare organisations.

The MoU was signed in Sydney between Consulate General of India Counsel (Commercial) Kishore Dudani and Australian Trade Commission Senior Export Adviser on Health/Biotechnology/Wellbeing Ms Milena Bliss.

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