India Surpasses 50,000 NQAS-Certified Health Facilities, Strengthening Public Healthcare

India has reached a major milestone in enhancing its public healthcare system, with over50,000 government health facilities certified under the National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS). As of December 31, 2025,50,373 public health institutionsacross all States and Union Territories have received the certification, according to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW).

This achievement highlights the government’s ongoing focus onquality, safety, and patient-centric care, particularly for economically weaker and vulnerable sections of society. Officials describe it as a significant step towardequitable access to high-quality healthcare nationwide.

From Pilot to Nationwide Quality FrameworkLaunched in 2015 with just 10 certified facilities limited to district hospitals, the NQAS programme has steadily expanded to includesub-district hospitals, community health centres (CHCs), primary health centres (PHCs), urban PHCs, and sub-health centresunder the Ayushman Arogya Mandir initiative.

The adoption ofvirtual assessmentshas accelerated the certification process, enabling faster and wider coverage. Certified facilities increased sharply from6,506 in December 2023to22,786 in December 2024, before more than doubling to50,373 by the end of 2025.

Quality Across All Levels of CareAmong the certified facilities,48,663 are Ayushman Arogya Mandirs, including sub-health centres and PHCs, while1,710 are secondary-care institutionssuch as CHCs, sub-district hospitals, and district hospitals. This demonstrates theinstitutionalisation of quality standards across both primary and secondary healthcare levels.

Supporting Universal Health CoverageThe NQAS expansion aligns with India’s commitment toUniversal Health Coverage (UHC)under the National Health Policy 2017, which prioritisesaffordable, accessible, and high-quality healthcare. The Ministry attributes rapid progress to a multi-pronged strategy, includingcapacity building, digital innovations, an expanded pool of trained assessors, and continuous quality improvement mechanisms.

Way ForwardCrossing the 50,000 mark reflects India’s broader vision of aresilient and self-reliant healthcare system, in line withAatmanirbhar Bharatand the principles ofSabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas, Sabka Prayaas. The government has set aninterim target of certifying at least 50% of all public healthcare facilities by March 2026, aiming to make quality anintrinsic and permanent feature of public healthcare deliveryacross the country.