By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 17: Ten public health facilities of Meghalaya have attained the coveted National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification, which is one of the most rigorous benchmarks of excellence in public healthcare across India.
The facilities include Ganesh Das MCH, Shillong; Marngar PHC (Ri-Bhoi district); Siju PHC (South Garo Hills district); Nongalbibra PHC (South Garo Hills district); Pomlum PHC (East Khasi Hills district); Asananggre PHC (West Garo Hills district); Babadam PHC (West Garo Hills district); Wagesi PHC (North Garo Hills district); Salmanpara PHC (South West Garo Hills district); and Gabil PHC (North Garo Hills district).
In addition, a total of 91 SC HWCs (AAM) across the state have also achieved NQAS Certification. The Pasteur’s Institute-Central Laboratory and the State Food Testing Laboratory had earlier attained NABL Accreditation, further reflecting Meghalaya’s commitment to raising quality standards across primary care, laboratory services, and community health.
This milestone not only reflects Meghalaya’s growing stature as a state committed to quality-driven healthcare but also highlights the unwavering commitment and hard work of officers, medical teams, and frontline health workers who went above and beyond—often sacrificing off-duty hours and comfort—to make this achievement a reality.
Equally commendable are the relentless efforts and dedication of medical officers, specialists, nursing staff, and assistants, and most importantly, the quality managers who played a crucial role in capacity building, strategic planning, and conceptual implementation. The quality managers have been the pillars of planning, documentation, synergistic implementation, and gap-closure analysis, ensuring that every process translated into measurable and sustainable quality outcomes across facilities.
At the forefront of this transformative journey was the Joint Directorate Committee (JDC), comprising DHS (MI), DHS (MCH&FW) and DHS (ME&R), providing strategic oversight and anchoring the quality movement across the state, through the constitution of the Joint Directorate Quality Committee (JDQC).
The JDQC led the process through intensive trainings, gap-closure visits, mock assessments, and continuous on-site mentoring, supported by a robust network of partners like MMDSL, NHM, and financial support from MHSSP & MHIS through their IPA programme and insurance revenue, which was reinforced by the dedicated efforts of the District Quality Teams, the Health Engineering Wing, and other allied units.
This collaborative system played a pivotal role in bridging gaps, upgrading infrastructure, and driving continuous quality improvement. These relentless efforts translated into meaningful and sustainable improvements, demonstrating that excellence is achievable even in the most remote corners of Meghalaya.
Ganesh Das MCH—a high-volume maternal and childcare center—overcame operational hurdles to become a model of structured, patient-centric service delivery, attaining not only NQAS, but Laqsha and Musqan Quality certification for their OT, labour room, SNCU & Paediatric Care Services.
Similarly, Marngar PHC, Siju PHC, Nongalbibra PHC, Asananggre PHC Pomlum PHC, Babadam PHC, Wagesi PHC, Salmanpara PHC, and Gabil PHC—serving rural and remote populations—proved that with strong leadership, teamwork, and dedication, even grassroots institutions can rise to meet national standards of excellence.
Director of Health Services (MI), Dr Janu Balas Momin said achieving NQAS is not just about passing an assessment—it’s about transforming systems, attitudes, and outcomes.
“As Meghalaya celebrates this achievement, the Health Department reaffirms its commitment to expanding the quality improvement journey, ensuring that every citizen has access to safe, reliable and nationally benchmarked healthcare services,” Dr Momin stated in a statement on Friday.
