National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers (NABH) is a constituent board of Quality Council of India (QCI), set up to establish and operate accreditation programme for healthcare organizations. NABH has been established with the objective of enhancing health system & promoting continuous quality improvement and patient safety. The board while being supported by all stakeholders, including industry, consumers, government, has full functional autonomy in its operation.

NABH provides accreditation to hospitals in a non-discriminatory manner regardless of their ownership, legal status, size and degree of independence.

NABH is an institutional member of the International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQUA). ISQUA is an international body which grants approval to Accreditation Bodies in the area of healthcare as mark of equivalence of accreditation program of member countries.

International Society for Quality in Healthcare (ISQua) has accredited “Standards for Hospitals” developed by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH, India ). The approval of ISQua authenticates that NABH standards are in consonance with the global benchmarks set by ISQua. The hospitals accredited by NABH will have international recognition This will provide boost to medical tourism.

International Society for Quality in Health Care (ISQua ) is an international body which grants approval to Accreditation Bodies in the area of healthcare as mark of equivalence of accreditation program of member countries.

So far hospital standards of only 11 countries viz. Australia , Canada , Egypt , Hong Kong , Ireland , Japan , Jordan , Kyrgyz Republic , South Africa , Taiwan , United Kingdom were accredited by ISQua. India becomes the 12 th country to join in this group.

Hospital Accreditation is a public recognition by a National Healthcare Accreditation Body, of the achievement of accreditation standards by a Healthcare Organization, demonstrated through an independent external peer assessment of that organization’s level of performance in relation to the standards. In India, Heath System currently operates within an environment of rapid social, economical and technical changes. Such changes raise the concern for the quality of health care. Hospital is an integral part of health care system. Accreditation would be the single most important approach for improving the quality of hospitals. Accreditation is an incentive to improve capacity of national hospitals to provide quality of care. National accreditation system for hospitals ensure that hospitals, whether public or private, national or expatriate, play there expected roles in national heath system. Confidence in accreditation is obtained by a transparent system of control over the accredited hospital and an assurance given by the accreditation body that the accredited hospital constantly fulfills the accreditation criteria.

 Benefits for Patients:

Patients are the biggest beneficiary among all the stakeholders. Accreditation results in high quality of care and patient safety. The patients are serviced by credential medical staff. Rights of patients are respected and protected. Patients satisfaction is regularly evaluated.

Benefits for Hospitals:

Accreditation to a hospital stimulates continuous improvement. It enables hospital in demonstrating commitment to quality care. It raises community confidence in the services provided by the hospital. It also provides opportunity to healthcare unit to benchmark with the best.

Benefits for Hospital Staff:

The staff in an accredited hospital is satisfied lot as it provides for continuous learning, good working environment, leadership and above all ownership of clinical processes. It improves overall professional development of Clinicians and Para Medical Staff and provides leadership for quality improvement with medicine and nursing.

Benefits to paying and regulatory bodies:

Finally, accreditation provides an objective system of empanelment by insurance and other third parties. Accreditation provides access to reliable and certified information on facilities, infrastructure and level of care.