New Delhi, July 23 -- New Delhi: Hospitals will be checked for standards of cleanliness and hygiene from now on before they are granted National Quality Assurance Standards (NQAS) certification, said an official aware of the matter and a letter seen by Mint.

Government funding for states and union territories is conditional on their health facilities getting the necessary NQAS certification-a set of standards for assessing and certifying the quality of public health facilities in India.

The development comes against the backdrop of growing incidence of hospital infections.

Hospital-acquired infections (HAIs) pose a significant risk, impacting patient health and healthcare costs. In India, a 2022 Lancet report indicated a rate of 1.73 H...