VIJAYAWADA: Andhra Pradesh has secured the top rank in the country for patient safety standards, scoring 86 out of 100 in the national evaluation announced by the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare during the World Patient Safety Day event held in New Delhi on Thursday.
The recognition places the State at the apex of quality healthcare delivery, ahead of Madhya Pradesh (84.5), Gujarat (83.5), Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (83), and Tamil Nadu (82). Conversely, states at the lower end of the national index included Bihar (61), Andaman and Nicobar Islands (49.5), Haryana (47), Himachal Pradesh (35), and Arunachal Pradesh (25).
Health Minister Y Satya Kumar Yadav commended healthcare officials, district quality teams, and medical staff for the achievement, encouraging them to maintain the momentum and continuously refine quality benchmarks across government hospitals.
The milestone comes on the back of comprehensive patient safety self-assessments covering 100 percent of the state’s targeted public hospitals, including 53 Area Hospitals and 9 District Hospitals.
Following field inspections by district quality teams and review by the State Quality Division, a consolidated evaluation report was submitted to the National Health Systems Resource Centre (NHSRC) on August 10.
Parallelly, Andhra Pradesh registered significant strides in implementing the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) across public healthcare institutions.
The state’s NQAS certification rate reached 65 percent, reflecting strict adherence to standards governing patient safety, hygiene, clinical protocols, and patient-centric care.
The achievements were presented on the national platform during a day-long conference organised by the Union Ministry of Health, National Health Mission (NHM), and NHSRC at the NIHFW Auditorium in New Delhi.
Centered on the theme “Safe Care for Non-Communicable Diseases,” the event addressed safety measures in NCD screening, treatment, medication management, and post-care monitoring.
Key national officials present included Aradhana Patnaik, Additional Secretary (MoHFW) and Mission Director (NHM), C Sibin, Joint Secretary (MoHFW), and Prof Pragya Sharma, Executive Director of NHSRC.
Addressing the national conference virtually, KVN Chakradhar Babu, Commissioner of Health and Family Welfare and MD of NHM Andhra Pradesh, detailed the state’s quality roadmaps and NQAS certification milestones.
State Coordinator Nagalakshmi attended the event in person, representing the State during panel discussions on clinical safety and NCD control measures. State health officials attributed the recognition to synchronised efforts.