Terming NGOs as "active partners" in spreading awareness on health issues, the Union Health Ministry today invited them to adopt a ward or a section in the three government-run hospitals in the city to help improve cleanliness and amenities in the institutions.
Health Minister JP Nadda met representatives from various NGOs to seek their participation in the Ministry initiative 'Kayakalp' and also provide feedback on schemes being implemented by the Ministry to enable course correction and value addition in services.
"The Health Minister invited the NGOs to adopt any <g data-gr-id="22">ward</g>, area, section or <g data-gr-id="23">premise</g> or any part of the activities within the three hospitals under the central government - Lady Hardinge Medical College, RML Hospital and Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi to begin with.
"The NGOs can innovate in terms of improving cleanliness in the <g data-gr-id="25">wards</g>, premises and toilets, provisioning of amenities such as water cooler, fans and others, livening up children's wards with wall paintings and landscaping," he said as per an official statement.
The three hospitals have been identified for the first <g data-gr-id="34">phase,</g> and are expected to serve as models for the states to replicate. "I seek their (NGOs) participation in creating awareness about promotive and preventive health and in inculcating health seeking behaviour through communication at the grassroots, the level where the NGOs work," he said.
'Kayakalp' is an initiative of the Health Ministry to encourage public health facilities in the country to work towards standards of excellence to help the facilities stay clean and hygienic.
Nadda said public health facilities will be awarded under the initiative on various parameters of sanitation, hygiene and cleanliness. The scheme also includes development and instating of systems and procedures for activities such as bio-waste management, quality assurance of services and others. "The initiative towards total '<g data-gr-id="26">Swacchta</g>' in public health facilities is aimed at building confidence of users in public health facilities, provide quality service and encourage <g data-gr-id="27">team work</g>," Nadda said, adding that he views the NGOs as "active partners" of the Ministry.
The NGO representatives welcomed the initiative of the Ministry and volunteered to partner not only on Kayakalp but also on issues such as management of hospitals and Public Health Centres (PHCs) in the states apart from advising the Ministry on better designing of health facility spaces.