Ooty govt hospital gets quality assurance certificate

Udhagamandalam: The Ooty Government Headquarters Hospital received a quality assurance certificate from central government at a function held in Chennai on Wednesday. The hospital has also received Rs 29.47 lakh to improve its facilities.

Chief minister Edappadi K Palaniswami handed over the certificate, awarded by the ministry of health and family welfare to public health facilities for compliance with the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS), to Nilgiris joint director of health H Ravikumar.

“The certificate is for the 12 departments in the hospital along with mortuary maintenance,” Ravikumar told TOI, adding, “The sum of Rs 29.47 lakh will be used to upgrade services in the hospital.”

If the hospital complies with the NQAS, it would get grants for three years consecutively. “We will maintain the standards and our service to the public will not be compromised,” said Ravikumar.

Besides the Ooty hospital, six other government hospitals in Tamil Nadu have received the certificate.

Started in 1829 by then collector of Coimbatore region John Sullivan, the Ooty GH is one of the oldest in the state. It has 320 beds. It also provides paid wards (A-Class) to patients who opt for them.