AIIMS bags first prize at Kayakalp awards

New Delhi: Maintaining its high standards of sanitation and hygiene, the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, on Thursday won the central government's Kayakalp award for the second time, along with a cash reward of Rs 2.5 crore.

Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, received the second prize, along with a cash reward of Rs 1.5 crore.

Meanwhile, two Delhi government's hospitals, Deendayal Upadhaya and Valmiki, received awards for promoting hygiene and health facilities under the initiative. Commendation awards of Rs 50 lakh each were given to Delhi's Safdarjung Hospital and Puduchery's JIPMER.

Addressing the ceremony here, Union Health Minister JP Nadda said, "From next year, the Health Ministry will not only name and award hospitals which perform very well under the Kayakalp initiative, but will also name those health facilities which do not perform up to the mark on various parameters."

He also highlighted various parameters under the Kayakalp initiative, including sanitation, waste management and infection control.

The initiative aims to incentivise public health institutions by awarding them for exemplary performance by adhering to standard protocols of cleanliness and infection control, as well as inculcate a culture of ongoing assessment and peer review of performance related to hygiene, cleanliness and sanitation.

Nadda said the Ministry will also declare names of hospitals about which patients have not given positive feedback through the 'Mera Aspataal' app. Under this initiative, patient satisfaction will be a prime factor for assessing quality of services provided by a health-care facility, the Minister said.